NASA’s James Webb Telescope, Observatory releases satellite images

Technique

by Andrew Wolfick, Fox Weather

May 28, 2023 | 9:35 a.m

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope have joined forces to produce stunning composite images of the universe.

the The space agency recently released the images That combines X-ray and infrared data to detect things invisible to humans.

The four composite images show galaxies, a nebula, and a cluster of stars several light-years away.

One of the composite images of a star cluster known as NGC 346, located in the Small Magellanic Cloud.

The cluster is about 200,000 light-years from Earth, and researchers believe the images reveal pillars and arcs of gas and dust, which serve as the material for forming stars and planets.

Messier 16, also known as the Eagle Nebula, forms another composite image.

The images show the X-rays in red and blue, while the infrared data is shown in red, green and blue.

Together, the screens depict what the researchers say are dark plumes of gas and dust from stars in their early stages of formation.

Astronomers often refer to this region as the “Pillars of Creation,” as it is inhabited by many young stars.

The observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope have also created a detailed view of a galaxy similar to our own Milky Way.

Messier 74 is about 32 million light-years away but is usually too dark to observe with a regular telescope.

As infrared images improve, gas and dust become apparent, and X-ray wavelengths help in imaging high-energy activity.

The latest stunning composite image is NGC 1672, a spiral galaxy.

The observatory’s data revealed compact objects such as neutron stars or black holes, along with the remnants of supernovae.

Telescope data revealed dust and gas within the galaxy’s arms.

The James Webb Space Telescope was launched in late 2021 and only became operational last year.

The telescope observed distant universes and helped find the faintest celestial bodies.

NASA believes that the telescope’s operations have exceeded expectations, and the space observatory could easily exceed its expected life of 10 years.