The images capture gas clouds, dust and star-forming regions in the galaxy in sharp relief. You can even see the distant universe beyond the galaxy’s red arms, as seen in optical and mid-infrared light According to the Guardian, Messier 74 is nicknamed the Phantom Galaxy for how faint it is, making it difficult to spot in the sky. Fortunately, the Webb Space Telescope, launched in December and commissioned this spring, is the most powerful space observatory to date. M74’s position—nearly facing Earth head-on—and its well-articulated spiral arms make it an excellent target for astronomers seeking to better understand galactic evolution. The galaxy also does not have much gas at its center, so the star cluster at its core is well dispersed. G/O Media may receive a commission M74 is just over 13 billion years old. It is a spiral galaxy like our own Milky Way (which is a shade older). What we are learning about star formation within M74 could well apply to our immediate galactic neighborhood. Webb’s first images—of nebulae, galaxies, and spectra from an exoplanet’s atmosphere—demonstrated the telescope’s scientific potential. The telescope is now targeting a number of science targets of special interest for various scientific collaborations. There’s even a Twitter bot that will keep you updated on what Webb is noticing at all times. Recently, it was CEERS’ turn to image targets with Webb, which can observe more distant and fainter targets at better resolution than other space telescopes. The image of M74 was taken as part of work by the PHANGS collaboration, which is surveying 19 nearby star-forming galaxies to better understand how these hot balls of gas form in our nearby universe. Looking at the galaxy in different wavelengths of light reveals different features of its structure. In images taken by Hubble in optical light, the galactic center is too bright to see much detail, but in Webb’s infrared view, you can make out individual spikes of light. The Hubble image also highlights a bunch of pink spots throughout the galaxy. According to an ESA release, these are clouds of hydrogen gas that show where stars have recently formed. Merging the Hubble and Webb data creates a composite image that highlights the galaxy’s nuclear center while preserving the features of its spiral arms—namely the brownish-red dust—intact. Wavelengths also evoke distinct feelings. The optical image makes the galaxy appear more ethereal, while the infrared image makes it look like a formidable space vortex. It will still be some time before the data can be retrieved by scientific teams, who will then draw conclusions about how stars form in these nearby spiral galaxies. For now, we can just enjoy the aesthetics of the universe. More: New Webb Telescope images of Jupiter reveal planet’s sparkling auroras
