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Thanks to a cosmic magnifying glass effect, the gravity of a massive galaxy cluster is warping two distant interacting galaxies (a face-on spiral and a dusty red galaxy) behind it, making them appear multiple times, tracing a shape that may be familiar. Though NASA Hubble previously observed the spiral, the dusty red galaxy has only been seen by Webb. Dust traps shorter wavelengths of light but allows infrared light to pass through. The dot of the question mark is an unrelated galaxy that happens to be in the right place and space-time, from our perspective. The lensing/magnification effect allows astronomers to pinpoint specific regions of star formation. Active star formation, and the face-on galaxy’s remarkably intact spiral shape, indicate that these galaxies’ interaction with each other is just beginning.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Vicente Estrada-Carpenter (Saint Mary's University)
#nasa #webb #galaxy #space #stars #science #astronomy #universe
