The M51 spiral galaxy recently photographed by the Webb Telescope has magnificent and developed spiral arms. (ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Adamo, Stockholm University and the FEAST JWST team)
[The Epoch Times, October 26, 2023](Epoch Times reporter Linda compiled and reported) M51 is a magnificent spiral galaxy about 25 million light-years away from the Earth. The James Webb Space Telescope recently captured a new image of M51. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), grandly designed spiral galaxies like this one have prominent, well-developed spiral arms, while other spiral galaxies have jagged or incomplete arms.
Located in the constellation of the Hunting Dogs, M51 is in the midst of a complex interaction with the dwarf galaxy NGC 5195. The interaction between these two nearby galaxies has been relatively well studied. M51’s gravitational influence on its relatively small dwarf galaxy neighbor is thought to be part of the reason for its prominent and distinctive spiral arms.
This new image of the galaxy uses data from the Webb Telescope’s Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). The new observation is part of a series of observations collectively known as Feedback from Emerging Exoclusters (FEAST). The FEAST observations are designed for astronomers and the public to learn more about stellar feedback and star formation environments outside the Milky Way.
Stellar feedback refers to the energy released by stars into the environment in which they were born. This is a key process in determining the rate of star formation and is also important for building accurate star formation models.
A report from the European Space Agency on August 29statement“Stellar feedback has a huge impact on the galactic medium, forming a complex network of large numbers of bright nodes and spongy black bubbles,” they wrote.
In the new image, deep red areas depict filaments of warm dust that permeate the galaxy’s medium. The rose-colored areas show light from complex molecules forming on dust grains. The orange and yellow sections show regions of ionized gas produced by recently formed star clusters.
Before the Webb telescope becomes operational in 2022, other observatories including the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and Hubble in the Chilean desert have given astronomers a glimpse into the star formation process. These observations occurred either when the star was in a dense cloud of gas and dust just before it formed, or after the star used its energy to destroy the cloud of gas and dust that formed it. And the Webb telescope is opening a new observation window into the early stages of star formation.
“For the first time, scientists have seen the birth of star clusters in galaxies outside the Milky Way and measured the time it takes for these stars to become doped with metals and clear their nearby gas clouds (these timescales vary from galaxy to galaxy),” ESA writes. .
More observations and studies are expected to help understand how the overall star formation cycle and metal enrichment processes are regulated within galaxies. It could also help provide a clearer timescale for the formation of planets and brown dwarfs, because once the gas and dust around a newly formed star is cleared away, there will be no material left to form planets. ◇
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