October 05, 2022

In fresh near-infrared data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, researchers for the first time discovered a lensed galaxy that had previously remained undiscovered.

Look at the elliptical white galaxy to the left. The inset shows a faint red arc at 10 o'clock. In Webb's view, this galaxy appears to be distorted and very far away. The gravity of the elliptical foreground galaxy bends its light. Furthermore, it has a duplicate appearance. At four o'clock, the elongated red arc reappears as a dot. These red and feeble pictures of the lensed galaxy were missed by Hubble, but are clearly visible in Webb's near-infrared image. Researchers can recreate how much mass is in individual stars and how much dark matter is in the galaxy's core using simulations of gravitationally lensed galaxies like this one. Data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's ultraviolet and visible spectrum are included in this image.

Researchers were able to trace the light that was emitted from the large white elliptical galaxy at left through the spiral galaxy at right and determine the effects of interstellar dust in the spiral galaxy by combining data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Near-infrared light from Webb and ultraviolet and visible light from Hubble are combined to create this image of the galaxy pair VV 191. The lengthier, extremely dusty spiral arms of the galaxy are also visible in much more detail in Webb's near-infrared data, creating the impression that they overlap with the center bulge of the bright white elliptical galaxy on the left. The two foreground galaxies are not actively interacting despite being quite close to one another from an astronomical perspective.

Do check the surroundings in these images. This view of VV 191 by the Webb telescope displays numerous distant galaxies. For instance, the two patchy spirals in the elliptical galaxy's upper left have equal apparent diameters yet appear in vastly distinct colors. To distinguish between the two, which are likely very dusty and very distant, researchers must collect data known as spectra.

Source: NASA