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6 min read<\/p>\n
In new images from NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary, a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer, and far more complex, than ever seen before. Webb\u2019s unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts through the thick lanes of dust that obscure Centaurus A\u2019s center in visible light, showing a densely packed tapestry of individual stars and an active, everchanging galaxy. These images mark four years of better-than-anticipated performance and successful science operations for the most powerful space telescope in history.<\/p>\n
Centaurus A is 11 million light-years away from Earth, relatively close in cosmic terms. Yet, unlike most nearby galaxies, it is very active, making it a powerful laboratory for understanding how galaxies and black holes grow and evolve together.<\/p>\n
At its core sits a supermassive black hole actively feeding on surrounding material. As it does, the black hole launches powerful jets<\/a> and releases enormous amounts of energy, shaping the galaxy around it. At the same time, Centaurus A bears the scars of a dramatic past: a major collision with another galaxy roughly two billion years ago. The aftermath of that merger is still visible today in its unusual structure and ongoing star formation.<\/p>\nVisible light observations from NASA\u2019s Hubble Space Telescope<\/a> could not reveal the central region where dust blocked the view, while NASA\u2019s retired Spitzer Space Telescope<\/a> revealed large scale structures in the infrared without resolving individual stars. Now, Webb brings both clarity and depth, exposing the galaxy\u2019s inner workings star by star.<\/p>\nInteractive: Journey into Centaurus A<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nUnable to render the provided source<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nUse this interactive tool to journey into NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s mid-infrared view of Centaurus A, where dust gives way to a rich landscape of stars and hidden features.<\/div>\nNASA \/ STScI<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201cNo single telescope tells the whole story,\u201d said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, division director, Astrophysics, NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cDiscoveries build over time and new observatories expand on the foundations laid by earlier missions. Webb represents the most powerful step forward yet, opening a window into wavelengths and details never before accessible. This allows astronomers to examine structures and processes that other telescopes could not see.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nDust, awe<\/h2>\nWebb\u2019s mid-infrared vision highlights the galaxy\u2019s rich dust structures, which glow in intricate shapes that surprise and even perplex astronomers. A warped, parallelogram-like band cuts across the galaxy\u2019s center, while wisps of material stretch outward like cosmic clouds.\u00a0<\/p>\nAn \u201cS\u201d shaped feature, most notable in the image from Webb\u2019s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), is also unusual and invites questions that need further study to answer. What created this shape? How does the black hole influence it? Is it influenced by merger-induced star formation?<\/p>\nMany of the glowing red points in the MIRI image are dust-rich stars or stellar nurseries, where aging stars are shedding material back into space or new stars are forming. This dust is the raw ingredient for future generations of stars and planets, making it central to the ongoing life cycle of the galaxy.<\/p>\nImage: Centaurus A Crop (NIRCam & MIRI)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nUnable to render the provided source<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn the combined mid- and near-infrared view of Centaurus A, the NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) on NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope brings out the galaxy\u2019s dense field of millions of stars.<\/div>\nImage: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Macarena Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWritten in its stars<\/strong><\/h2>\nWith Webb\u2019s high resolution, astronomers can now study Centaurus A star by star, even in its long-obscured central region. What looks \u201cgrainy\u201d in the image from Webb, most obvious in the combined MIRI and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) view, is actually a densely packed field of individual stars, together carrying information about the galaxy\u2019s past.<\/p>\nWith Webb\u2019s view of Centaurus A, it becomes a case of galactic archaeology. Each star revealed helps to reconstruct when different events happened: when older stars first formed, when activity slowed down, a burst of star formation during the collision, and stars born from gas stirred in its aftermath. Together, they form a timeline of the galaxy\u2019s evolution.<\/p>\n
Visible light observations from NASA\u2019s Hubble Space Telescope<\/a> could not reveal the central region where dust blocked the view, while NASA\u2019s retired Spitzer Space Telescope<\/a> revealed large scale structures in the infrared without resolving individual stars. Now, Webb brings both clarity and depth, exposing the galaxy\u2019s inner workings star by star.<\/p>\nInteractive: Journey into Centaurus A<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nUnable to render the provided source<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nUse this interactive tool to journey into NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s mid-infrared view of Centaurus A, where dust gives way to a rich landscape of stars and hidden features.<\/div>\nNASA \/ STScI<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201cNo single telescope tells the whole story,\u201d said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, division director, Astrophysics, NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cDiscoveries build over time and new observatories expand on the foundations laid by earlier missions. Webb represents the most powerful step forward yet, opening a window into wavelengths and details never before accessible. This allows astronomers to examine structures and processes that other telescopes could not see.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nDust, awe<\/h2>\nWebb\u2019s mid-infrared vision highlights the galaxy\u2019s rich dust structures, which glow in intricate shapes that surprise and even perplex astronomers. A warped, parallelogram-like band cuts across the galaxy\u2019s center, while wisps of material stretch outward like cosmic clouds.\u00a0<\/p>\nAn \u201cS\u201d shaped feature, most notable in the image from Webb\u2019s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), is also unusual and invites questions that need further study to answer. What created this shape? How does the black hole influence it? Is it influenced by merger-induced star formation?<\/p>\nMany of the glowing red points in the MIRI image are dust-rich stars or stellar nurseries, where aging stars are shedding material back into space or new stars are forming. This dust is the raw ingredient for future generations of stars and planets, making it central to the ongoing life cycle of the galaxy.<\/p>\nImage: Centaurus A Crop (NIRCam & MIRI)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nUnable to render the provided source<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn the combined mid- and near-infrared view of Centaurus A, the NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) on NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope brings out the galaxy\u2019s dense field of millions of stars.<\/div>\nImage: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Macarena Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWritten in its stars<\/strong><\/h2>\nWith Webb\u2019s high resolution, astronomers can now study Centaurus A star by star, even in its long-obscured central region. What looks \u201cgrainy\u201d in the image from Webb, most obvious in the combined MIRI and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) view, is actually a densely packed field of individual stars, together carrying information about the galaxy\u2019s past.<\/p>\nWith Webb\u2019s view of Centaurus A, it becomes a case of galactic archaeology. Each star revealed helps to reconstruct when different events happened: when older stars first formed, when activity slowed down, a burst of star formation during the collision, and stars born from gas stirred in its aftermath. Together, they form a timeline of the galaxy\u2019s evolution.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo single telescope tells the whole story,\u201d said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, division director, Astrophysics, NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cDiscoveries build over time and new observatories expand on the foundations laid by earlier missions. Webb represents the most powerful step forward yet, opening a window into wavelengths and details never before accessible. This allows astronomers to examine structures and processes that other telescopes could not see.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Webb\u2019s mid-infrared vision highlights the galaxy\u2019s rich dust structures, which glow in intricate shapes that surprise and even perplex astronomers. A warped, parallelogram-like band cuts across the galaxy\u2019s center, while wisps of material stretch outward like cosmic clouds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An \u201cS\u201d shaped feature, most notable in the image from Webb\u2019s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), is also unusual and invites questions that need further study to answer. What created this shape? How does the black hole influence it? Is it influenced by merger-induced star formation?<\/p>\n
Many of the glowing red points in the MIRI image are dust-rich stars or stellar nurseries, where aging stars are shedding material back into space or new stars are forming. This dust is the raw ingredient for future generations of stars and planets, making it central to the ongoing life cycle of the galaxy.<\/p>\n
With Webb\u2019s high resolution, astronomers can now study Centaurus A star by star, even in its long-obscured central region. What looks \u201cgrainy\u201d in the image from Webb, most obvious in the combined MIRI and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) view, is actually a densely packed field of individual stars, together carrying information about the galaxy\u2019s past.<\/p>\n
With Webb\u2019s view of Centaurus A, it becomes a case of galactic archaeology. Each star revealed helps to reconstruct when different events happened: when older stars first formed, when activity slowed down, a burst of star formation during the collision, and stars born from gas stirred in its aftermath. Together, they form a timeline of the galaxy\u2019s evolution.<\/p>\n