This new image of a galaxy called NGC 7469, located 220 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus.
It is a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way and is positioned so that it appears directly in front of us.
The new James Webb telescope
Besides these The main galaxy You can also see more distant galaxies in the background, as well as the companion galaxy NGC 5283, which can be seen in the lower left of the image, Digitartlends reported.
Perhaps the most obvious feature in the image is the shape of a bright red star protruding from the galactic center, called the active galactic nucleus, or AGN.
This is a very bright region where the dust orbits the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy, falling into it and releasing heat and light as it goes.
“The distinguishing feature of this image is the striking six-pointed star that aligns perfectly with the heart of NGC 7469,” explain the Webb scientists. “Unlike a galaxy, this is not an actual celestial body, but an imaging artifact known as a diffraction peak, caused by an unresolved bright AGN.
Diffraction peaks are patterns produced when light bends around the sharp edges of a telescope.
Webb’s primary mirror consists of hexagonal segments that each have edges for light emission, giving six luminous heights.
There are also shorter, lighter screws created by diffraction from the vertical post that help hold up the secondary Webb mirror.
This region was studied using three of Webb’s instruments, the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI), the near-infrared camera (NIRCam), and the near-infrared spectrometer (NIRSpec).
This AGN is special because it hosts a starburst region near it, where stars are forming at a rapid rate.
Webb’s research aims to investigate the relationship between this NGN and the nearby starburst region and the role dust plays between the two.
