To celebrate two years of its operations, scientists working on the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed a breathtaking image of the Penguin and Egg galaxies in the process of colliding.
Description: Arp 142 is a pair of galaxies that are nicknamed “the Penguin” and “the Egg.”
Located in the constellation Hydra, approximately 325 million light-years away from Earth.
The date that it was posted was July 12, 2024, which marked the two-year anniversary of the initial release of the first image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
What makes it unique: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has observed the oldest stars in the universe, discovered intriguing exoplanets that might support life, questioned established cosmological theories, and recently even engaged in bird-watching to mark its anniversary, all within two years of operation.
The most recent image taken by the advanced telescope JWST shows a clear view of Arp 142, two galaxies appearing to blend together like a cosmic penguin protecting its brightly lit egg. The larger galaxy, known as Penguin (NGC 2936), appears warped due to gravitational friction with its egg-shaped companion (NGC 2937) over millions of years. Eventually, these two galaxies will collide and merge into one.
According to NASA, the Penguin galaxy originally started as a spiral galaxy similar to our Milky Way. However, as it began the process of becoming a parent, changes occurred. The massive Egg, approximately 100,000 light-years away, caused the Penguin to be distorted further. The galaxy’s dense center turned into the Penguin’s bright eye, while its spiral arms transformed into a beak, back, and tail. In areas where the galaxy is thinner, such as the Penguin’s beak and tail, gas and dust are compressed to create new stars.
According to NASA, the smaller Egg galaxy, shining brightly to the left of the Penguin, is a dense elliptical galaxy that has remained relatively unchanged during their celestial interaction. Despite appearing smaller, the Egg and the Penguin are believed to have similar amounts of mass, which is why the Penguin has not absorbed the Egg yet. NASA predicts that their final merger is still millions of years in the future.
The latest image created by combining data from JWST’s Near Infrared Camera and Mid-Infrared Instrument shows light that is usually invisible to humans. By using these instruments, JWST has uncovered some of the oldest and most distant structures in the universe, providing new insights into the origins of stars, galaxies, and the universe. The mission of JWST is still in its early stages.
Also Read: Data Science Expedites the Return of Ancestral Indigenous Remains
Mark Clampin, the director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, stated that Webb has revolutionized our understanding of the universe in a short span of two years. The telescope is unveiling secrets about the early universe and enabling the study of distant planets, marking the beginning of a new era in space exploration. Clampin emphasized that there has never been a better time to explore every aspect of the universe.
