\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA\u2019s Webb Reveals Distorted Galaxy Forming Cosmic Question Mark\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Amid](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/webb-stsci-01j6cwrk073c5kh4qhgp1z6ka2-questionmarkgalaxy-nircam-2k.png?w=1536\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe galaxy cluster MACS-J0417.5-1154. Full image below.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCredits: <\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, V. Estrada-Carpenter (Saint Mary\u2019s University).<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIt\u2019s 7 billion years ago, and the universe\u2019s heyday of star formation is beginning to slow. What might our Milky Way galaxy have looked like at that time? Astronomers using NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope have found clues in the form of a cosmic question mark, the result of a rare alignment across light-years of space.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know of only three or four occurrences of similar gravitational lens<\/a> configurations in the observable universe, which makes this find exciting, as it demonstrates the power of Webb and suggests maybe now we will find more of these,\u201d said astronomer Guillaume Desprez of Saint Mary\u2019s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a member of the team presenting the Webb results.<\/p>\nImage A: Lensed Question Mark (NIRCam)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"Amid](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/webb-stsci-01j6cwrk073c5kh4qhgp1z6ka2-questionmarkgalaxy-nircam-2k.png?w=1651\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nThe galaxy cluster MACS-J0417.5-1154 is so massive it is warping the fabric of space-time and distorting the appearance of galaxies behind it, an effect known as gravitational lensing. This natural phenomenon magnifies distant galaxies and can also make them appear in an image multiple times, as NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope saw here. Two distant, interacting galaxies \u2014 a face-on spiral and a dusty red galaxy seen from the side \u2014 appear multiple times, tracing a familiar shape across the sky. Active star formation, and the face-on galaxy\u2019s remarkably intact spiral shape, indicate that these galaxies\u2019 interaction is just beginning.\n<\/div>\nNASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, V. Estrada-Carpenter (Saint Mary\u2019s University).<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhile this region has been observed previously with NASA\u2019s Hubble Space Telescope<\/a>, the dusty red galaxy that forms the intriguing question-mark shape only came into view with Webb. This is a result of the wavelengths of light that Hubble detects getting trapped in cosmic dust, while longer wavelengths of infrared light are able to pass through and be detected by Webb\u2019s instruments.<\/p>\nAstronomers used both telescopes to observe the galaxy cluster MACS-J0417.5-1154, which acts like a magnifying glass<\/a> because the cluster is so massive it warps the fabric of space-time. This allows astronomers to see enhanced detail in much more distant galaxies behind the cluster. However, the same gravitational effects that magnify the galaxies also cause distortion, resulting in galaxies that appear smeared across the sky in arcs and even appear multiple times. These optical illusions in space are called gravitational lensing.<\/p>\nThe red galaxy revealed by Webb, along with a spiral galaxy it is interacting with that was previously detected by Hubble, are being magnified and distorted in an unusual way, which requires a particular, rare alignment between the distant galaxies, the lens, and the observer \u2014 something astronomers call a hyperbolic umbilic gravitational lens. This accounts for the five images<\/a> of the galaxy pair seen in Webb\u2019s image, four of which trace the top of the question mark. The dot of the question mark is an unrelated galaxy that happens to be in the right place and space-time, from our perspective.<\/p>\nImage B: Hubble and Webb Side by Side <\/h2>\n\n\n Image Before\/After\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\nIn addition to producing a case study of the Webb NIRISS (Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph) instrument\u2019s ability to detect star formation locations within a galaxy billions of light-years away, the research team also couldn\u2019t resist highlighting the question mark shape. \u201cThis is just cool looking. Amazing images like this are why I got into astronomy when I was young,\u201d said astronomer Marcin Sawicki of Saint Mary\u2019s University, one of the lead researchers on the team.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowing when, where, and how star formation occurs within galaxies is crucial to understanding how galaxies have evolved over the history of the universe,\u201d said astronomer Vicente Estrada-Carpenter of Saint Mary\u2019s University, who used both Hubble\u2019s ultraviolet and Webb\u2019s infrared data to show where new stars are forming in the galaxies. The results show that star formation is widespread in both. The spectral data also confirmed that the newfound dusty galaxy is located at the same distance as the face-on spiral galaxy, and they are likely beginning to interact.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth galaxies in the Question Mark Pair show active star formation in several compact regions, likely a result of gas from the two galaxies colliding,\u201d said Estrada-Carpenter. \u201cHowever, neither galaxy\u2019s shape appears too disrupted, so we are probably seeing the beginning of their interaction with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese galaxies, seen billions of years ago when star formation was at its peak, are similar to the mass that the Milky Way galaxy would have been at that time. Webb is allowing us to study what the teenage years of our own galaxy would have been like,\u201d said Sawicki.<\/p>\n
The Webb images and spectra in this research came from the Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey<\/a> (CANUCS). The research paper is published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\nImage C: Wide Field \u2013 Lensed Question Mark (NIRCam)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/webb-stsci-01j6d9d95ayz22hsdngqyd7531-questionmarkgalaxy-nircam-widefield-4k.png?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe James Webb Space Telescope is the world\u2019s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).<\/em><\/p>\nDownloads<\/h2>\n
Right click any image to save it or open a larger version<\/strong> in a new tab\/window via the browser\u2019s popup menu.<\/p>\nView\/Download all image products at all resolutions <\/a><\/strong>for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.<\/p>\nView\/Download the research results<\/strong> from the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\nMedia Contacts<\/h2>\n
Laura\u00a0Betz<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0laura.e.betz@nasa.gov<\/a>, Rob Gutro<\/strong> \u2013 rob.gutro@nasa.gov<\/a>
NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a>, Greenbelt, Md.<\/p>\nChristine Pulliam<\/strong> \u2013 cpulliam@stsci.edu<\/a> , Leah Ramsey<\/strong> \u2013 lramsey@stsci.edu<\/a>
Space Telescope Science Institute<\/a>, Baltimore, Md.<\/p>\nRelated Information<\/h2>\n
VIDEO: Gravity \u2013 Nature\u2019s Magnifying Glass<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nVIDEO: What happens when galaxies collide?<\/a><\/strong>
ARTICLE: More about Galaxy Evolution<\/a><\/strong>
VIDEO: Learn more about Galactic Collisions <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore Webb News<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore Webb Images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nWebb Science Themes<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nWebb Mission Page<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\nRelated For Kids<\/h2>\n
What is a galaxy?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nWhat is the Webb Telescope?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nSpacePlace for Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nEn Espa\u00f1ol<\/h2>\n
Para Ni\u00f1os<\/strong> : Qu\u00e9 es una galaxia?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nCiencia de la NASA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nNASA en espa\u00f1ol\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nSpace Place\u00a0para ni\u00f1os<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nKeep Exploring<\/div>\nRelated Topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, V. Estrada-Carpenter (Saint Mary\u2019s University).<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
It\u2019s 7 billion years ago, and the universe\u2019s heyday of star formation is beginning to slow. What might our Milky Way galaxy have looked like at that time? Astronomers using NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope have found clues in the form of a cosmic question mark, the result of a rare alignment across light-years of space.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know of only three or four occurrences of similar gravitational lens<\/a> configurations in the observable universe, which makes this find exciting, as it demonstrates the power of Webb and suggests maybe now we will find more of these,\u201d said astronomer Guillaume Desprez of Saint Mary\u2019s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a member of the team presenting the Webb results.<\/p>\n While this region has been observed previously with NASA\u2019s Hubble Space Telescope<\/a>, the dusty red galaxy that forms the intriguing question-mark shape only came into view with Webb. This is a result of the wavelengths of light that Hubble detects getting trapped in cosmic dust, while longer wavelengths of infrared light are able to pass through and be detected by Webb\u2019s instruments.<\/p>\n Astronomers used both telescopes to observe the galaxy cluster MACS-J0417.5-1154, which acts like a magnifying glass<\/a> because the cluster is so massive it warps the fabric of space-time. This allows astronomers to see enhanced detail in much more distant galaxies behind the cluster. However, the same gravitational effects that magnify the galaxies also cause distortion, resulting in galaxies that appear smeared across the sky in arcs and even appear multiple times. These optical illusions in space are called gravitational lensing.<\/p>\n The red galaxy revealed by Webb, along with a spiral galaxy it is interacting with that was previously detected by Hubble, are being magnified and distorted in an unusual way, which requires a particular, rare alignment between the distant galaxies, the lens, and the observer \u2014 something astronomers call a hyperbolic umbilic gravitational lens. This accounts for the five images<\/a> of the galaxy pair seen in Webb\u2019s image, four of which trace the top of the question mark. The dot of the question mark is an unrelated galaxy that happens to be in the right place and space-time, from our perspective.<\/p>\n In addition to producing a case study of the Webb NIRISS (Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph) instrument\u2019s ability to detect star formation locations within a galaxy billions of light-years away, the research team also couldn\u2019t resist highlighting the question mark shape. \u201cThis is just cool looking. Amazing images like this are why I got into astronomy when I was young,\u201d said astronomer Marcin Sawicki of Saint Mary\u2019s University, one of the lead researchers on the team.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cKnowing when, where, and how star formation occurs within galaxies is crucial to understanding how galaxies have evolved over the history of the universe,\u201d said astronomer Vicente Estrada-Carpenter of Saint Mary\u2019s University, who used both Hubble\u2019s ultraviolet and Webb\u2019s infrared data to show where new stars are forming in the galaxies. The results show that star formation is widespread in both. The spectral data also confirmed that the newfound dusty galaxy is located at the same distance as the face-on spiral galaxy, and they are likely beginning to interact.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth galaxies in the Question Mark Pair show active star formation in several compact regions, likely a result of gas from the two galaxies colliding,\u201d said Estrada-Carpenter. \u201cHowever, neither galaxy\u2019s shape appears too disrupted, so we are probably seeing the beginning of their interaction with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese galaxies, seen billions of years ago when star formation was at its peak, are similar to the mass that the Milky Way galaxy would have been at that time. Webb is allowing us to study what the teenage years of our own galaxy would have been like,\u201d said Sawicki.<\/p>\n The Webb images and spectra in this research came from the Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey<\/a> (CANUCS). The research paper is published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n The James Webb Space Telescope is the world\u2019s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).<\/em><\/p>\n Right click any image to save it or open a larger version<\/strong> in a new tab\/window via the browser\u2019s popup menu.<\/p>\n View\/Download all image products at all resolutions <\/a><\/strong>for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.<\/p>\n View\/Download the research results<\/strong> from the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n Laura\u00a0Betz<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0laura.e.betz@nasa.gov<\/a>, Rob Gutro<\/strong> \u2013 rob.gutro@nasa.gov<\/a> Christine Pulliam<\/strong> \u2013 cpulliam@stsci.edu<\/a> , Leah Ramsey<\/strong> \u2013 lramsey@stsci.edu<\/a> VIDEO: Gravity \u2013 Nature\u2019s Magnifying Glass<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n VIDEO: What happens when galaxies collide?<\/a><\/strong> More Webb News<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n More Webb Images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Webb Science Themes<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Webb Mission Page<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n What is a galaxy?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n What is the Webb Telescope?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n SpacePlace for Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Para Ni\u00f1os<\/strong> : Qu\u00e9 es una galaxia?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Ciencia de la NASA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n NASA en espa\u00f1ol\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Space Place\u00a0para ni\u00f1os<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nImage A: Lensed Question Mark (NIRCam)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/figure>Image B: Hubble and Webb Side by Side <\/h2>\n
Image C: Wide Field \u2013 Lensed Question Mark (NIRCam)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDownloads<\/h2>\n
Media Contacts<\/h2>\n
NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a>, Greenbelt, Md.<\/p>\n
Space Telescope Science Institute<\/a>, Baltimore, Md.<\/p>\nRelated Information<\/h2>\n
ARTICLE: More about Galaxy Evolution<\/a><\/strong>
VIDEO: Learn more about Galactic Collisions <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nRelated For Kids<\/h2>\n
En Espa\u00f1ol<\/h2>\n
Related Topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n