Colliding spiral galaxies captured in great detail
Astronomers combined data from NASA's JWST and the Chandra X-ray Observatory to create a stunning new image of two merging spiral galaxies.
X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Webb; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare
Two space telescopes are truly better than one. This month NASA released a new image which combines observations from James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory of two spiral galaxies on space collision course.
The two space telescopes have completely different paths, giving each a dizzying view of the universe. JWST orbits the Sun and observes space in infrared light, while Chandrawhich orbits the Earth is sensitive to the X-ray spectrum. The newly released image combines their observations into one, showing galaxies IC 2163 (the left galaxy) and NGC 2207 (the right) in new light.
The pair is located approximately 120 million light years from Earth. The larger galaxy, NGC 2207, is slowly stretching and tearing the smaller one off the pair. Together they unite in a slow gravitational dance that, after billions of years, will end with their merging into a single galaxy. In the image, mid-infrared data from JWST shows dust and other cooler matter in white, gray and red, while X-ray data from Chandra shows high-energy regions, including regions of intense star formation, in blue.
About supporting science journalism
If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting our award-winning journalism. subscription. By purchasing a subscription, you help ensure a future of influential stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
When galaxies merge, they can cause explosive bursts of star formation, and astronomers are keen to observe these collisions to understand how galaxies evolve over time.
It's time to stand up for science
If you liked this article, I would like to ask for your support. Scientific American has been a champion of science and industry for 180 years, and now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I was Scientific American I have been a subscriber since I was 12, and it has helped shape my view of the world. science always educates and delights me, instills a sense of awe in front of our vast and beautiful universe. I hope it does the same for you.
If you subscribe to Scientific Americanyou help ensure our coverage focuses on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on decisions that threaten laboratories across the US; and that we support both aspiring and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return you receive important news, fascinating podcastsbrilliant infographics, newsletters you can't missmust-watch videos challenging gamesand the world's best scientific articles and reporting. You can even give someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you will support us in this mission.
