Spiral Galaxy NGC 3351.
Gas and Dust
In Webb’s high-resolution infrared images, the gas and dust are vividly highlighted in shades of orange and red, forming intricate spiral shapes with jagged edges. Although these areas still appear diffuse, the contrast is striking.
Bright Central Spikes:
One of the notable features in Webb’s images is the presence of bright red diffraction spikes at the core of a galaxy, such as in NGC 7496. These spikes can be a sign of an active supermassive black hole.
However, it’s important to note that not all oversized diffraction spikes at a galaxy’s core are caused by black holes. Sometimes, they appear when a cluster of very bright star clusters is centrally located.
Older Stars:
In some of Webb’s images, the central region emits a blue glow, indicating high concentrations of older stars. Webb’s infrared observations enable us to see through the gas and dust, revealing these older stars. The blue color is assigned to these stars because they emit some of the shortest infrared wavelengths in Webb’s images.
Younger Stars:
In Webb’s image, newly formed stars appear blue along the galaxy’s spiral arms. These blue stars have cleared away the surrounding gas and dust. The farther they are from the core, the younger these stars are likely to be. Orange stars, which may appear in groups in the images, are even younger and still enclosed in their cocoons of gas and dust, allowing them to continue forming.
Star-Forming Regions:
Webb’s image reveals vibrant knots of bright red and orange, especially towards the outer edges of the galaxy’s spiral arms. These regions are where star formation is actively taking place, and the mid-infrared light highlights the gas and dust, which are essential ingredients for this process.
Background Galaxies:
When exploring Webb’s image, you’ll also notice the presence of distant galaxies located behind the tightly cropped foreground galaxy. These distant galaxies are depicted as bright blue and pink disks, some of which are seen edge-on, resembling a plate with a central sphere. The color of these galaxies varies with distance, with redder galaxies being farther away.
Spiral Galaxy NGC 3351 was observed as part of the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) program, a comprehensive project involving several space- and ground-based telescopes. This project aims to support researchers in studying all phases of the star formation cycle, from the formation of stars within dusty gas clouds to the energy released in the intricate structures unveiled by Webb’s new images.
NGC 3351 is located 33 million light-years away in the constellation Leo.
Credits
Image
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Janice Lee (STScI), Thomas Williams (Oxford), PHANGS Team
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Spiral Galaxy NGC 3351 Features:
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