Colliding spiral galaxies captured in dazzling 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 really are better than one. this month NASA released new picture Which combines observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory of two spiral galaxies on a cosmic collision course.
The trajectories of the two space telescopes are very different – giving them a fascinating vantage point on the universe. The JWST orbits the Sun and observes the universe in infrared light, while Chandra, which orbits Earth, is sensitive to the X-ray spectrum. The newly released image combines their observations into one, showing the galaxies IC 2163 (the left-hand galaxy) and NGC 2207 (the right-hand one) in a new light.
The pair is located about 120 million light years away from Earth. The larger galaxy, NGC 2207, is slowly stretching and pushing the smaller galaxy apart from the pair. They are joined together in a slow, gravitational dance that, billions of years from now, will end with their merger into a single galaxy. In the image, JWST’s mid-infrared data shows dust and other cool matter in white, gray and red, while Chandra’s X-ray data shows high-energy regions, including regions of intense star formation, in blue.
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When galaxies merge, they can trigger explosive bursts of star formation, and astronomers are eager to observe these collisions to understand how galaxies evolve over time.
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