James Webb Space Telescope -  Captures Amazing View Of Galactic Fusion - video Dailymotion

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The James Webb Space Telescope has captured imagery of interacting elliptical and spiral galaxies known as Arp 107.  Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)

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00:00Arp 107 is located 465 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo Minor.

00:08This image captures a scene that stretches approximately 400,000 light-years across.

00:14The spiral galaxy is about six times more massive than its elliptical companion.

00:20In Arp 107, two galaxies are caught in the early stages of a merger.

00:25On the left, a smaller elliptical galaxy contrasts with the larger spiral galaxy on the right.

00:32Their interaction stems from an off-center collision where the smaller galaxy collided

00:37with the spiral from the side several hundred million years ago.

00:42These two bright regions host ongoing star formation.

00:46Galaxy collisions can trigger the formation of new stars when interstellar gases get compressed.

00:52The spiral galaxy in Arp 107 has an exceptionally bright core.

00:57This brightness is caused, in part, by the supermassive black hole at its center,

01:02which consumes surrounding material like gas and dust.

01:07As this material falls inward, it heats up and emits a tremendous amount of energy,

01:12making the galaxy's core shine brilliantly.

01:16In longer wavelengths, we can observe this bright point source,

01:19a clear indication of the black hole's activity as it accretes material.

01:24A tenuous bridge stretches between the two galaxies,

01:27composed of a mix of stars and gas, a result of their interaction.

01:32This stream of material was pulled from both galaxies as they interacted,

01:37creating a visible link that underscores the intensity of their encounter.

01:42This new image from the Webb Space Telescope combines near-infrared and mid-infrared light,

01:48but each wavelength was also captured separately.

01:51The mid-infrared view highlights the spiral galaxy's bright nucleus,

01:56while the bridge of material connecting the galaxies disappears in the mid-infrared,

02:01demonstrating how each wavelength offers unique insights into the structure of Arp 107.

02:08Arp 107 is compelling because it showcases the dramatic effects of galactic interaction,

02:14with a distorted spiral galaxy connected by a bridge of material to another galaxy,

02:20providing insights into the processes that drive galaxy evolution.

02:24But what is it that astronomers love most about this image?

02:29It looks like a smiley face!

James Webb Space Telescope - Captures Amazing View Of Galactic Fusion

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