overview: Galactic duo Arp 142, aka “Penguin” and “Egg”
Where: It is located in the constellation Hydra, about 325 million light years away from Earth.
Shared on: July 12, 2024, James Webb Space Telescope releases first images
Why it’s special: After two years of operation, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) The oldest star in the known universenot covered Fascinating alien planet Potential to harbor life challenged major theories of cosmology — and now, to celebrate that anniversary, I’ve tried my hand at birdwatching.
In its latest images from its most advanced telescope, JWST has revealed the sharpest image yet of Arp 142, a pair of interwoven galaxies that resemble cosmic penguins guarding a glowing egg. The larger Penguin galaxy (named NGC 2936) gets its distorted appearance from more than 25 million years of gravitational friction with its egg-like companion galaxy (NGC 2937), which will one day collide and merge completely with its neighbor.
Penguins began life as a spiral galaxy like our own. milky wayaccording to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)But as many on Earth know, becoming a parent has the power to change a person. As the giant egg orbits some 100,000 light-years away, the penguin becomes increasingly morphed. The once-dense center of the spiral galaxy is now the penguin’s glowing eye. The once-symmetrical spiral arms now stretch into its beak, back, and tail. In thinner regions, like the penguin’s beak and tail, gas and dust are crushing together to form new stars.
Related: The James Webb Telescope has confirmed serious errors in our understanding of the universe.
The bright, smaller egg to the penguin’s left is a dense elliptical galaxy that has changed very little during its long galactic dance, according to NASA. Though the egg appears much smaller than the penguin, the two galaxies likely have virtually the same amount of mass, explaining why the egg hasn’t been swallowed by the larger penguin yet. The final merger of the penguin and egg is probably millions of years away, NASA added.
The new image combines data from JWST’s near-infrared camera and mid-infrared instruments, revealing a wide range of light normally invisible to the human eye. Using these instruments, JWST will be able to capture the oldest, The furthest structureIt has provided a wealth of new information about the origins of stars, galaxies, and the universe itself — and the mission is just beginning.
“In just two years, Webb has transformed our view of the universe.” Mark CrumpHe is director of the astrophysics division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. statement“Webb provides insight into long-standing mysteries about the early universe and opens a new era of studying distant worlds. … It is now possible to explore every aspect of the universe like never before.”
