James Webb Telescope reveals a spectacular image of the Wagon Wheel galaxy
Eva Deschamps / August 3, 2022
Its rings appear with a clarity never observed before, which sheds light on the understanding of the dynamics of this distant galaxy, located 500 million light years away.
It is still fascinating to admire the universe. Nasa published Tuesday, August 2 a rare and beautiful image of the Wagon Wheel galaxy, 500 million light years from our Earth. Its rings appear with unprecedented clarity, thanks to the brand new James Webb Space Telescope.
Like our Milky Way, astronomers believe that the Cartwheel galaxy was once a spiral galaxy. But a spectacular event gave it its shape: the collision with another smaller galaxy, which is not visible on the image. Two rings formed from the center of the collision, similar to the ripples in concentric circles caused by a pebble thrown into water. This is what gave it its evocative name.
The first ring, more in the center, is very bright, and the second, outside, is expanding since 440 million years. During its expansion, the ring collides with the surrounding gas, triggering the formation of stars.
This galaxy had already been observed by the Hubble Space Telescope, but the infrared capabilities of James Webb reveal new and previously hidden details, allowing to see through a large amount of dust.
The composite image, from observations by two of the telescope's science instruments, also includes two other smaller galaxies, as well as many others in the background. The Wagon Wheel galaxy is still in a transient state, Nasa noted in its release. While the James Webb Telescope provides us with a glimpse of (its) current state, it also gives us an idea of what has happened to it in the past, and how it will evolve in the future.