Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have captured stunning new photos of NGC 4449, located in the constellation Canes Venatici.
This Webb/MIRI/NIRCam image shows the center of irregular galaxy NGC 4449. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / A. Adamo, Stockholm University / FEAST JWST Team.
NGC 4449 It is located about 12.5 million light years away in the constellation Canes Venatici.
Also known as Caldwell 21, LEDA 40973, and UGC 7592, the galaxy has a diameter of about 20,000 light-years.
NGC 4449 discovered It was discovered on April 27, 1788 by German-born British astronomer William Herschel.
It is part of the M94 galaxy group, lie It is near the Local Group that hosts our Milky Way galaxy.
“NGC 4449 has been forming stars for billions of years, but star formation is occurring at a much higher rate today than in the past,” astronomer Webb said.
“Such unusually explosive and intense star formation activity is called a starburst, and NGC 4449 is therefore known as a starburst galaxy.”
“Indeed, at the current rate of star formation, the gas supply required for star formation will last only another billion years or so.”
“Starbursts typically occur in the centres of galaxies, but NGC 4449 shows more widespread star formation activity, with very young stars observed both in the galaxy's core and in the outflow that surrounds it.”
“The current widespread starburst is likely caused by an interaction or merger with a smaller companion star.”
“Indeed, star formation in NGC 4449 is likely influenced by interactions with several nearby stars.”
“NGC 4449 resembles a primitive star-forming galaxy that grew by merging and accreting with smaller stellar systems,” the researchers added.
“NGC 4449 is close enough for us to observe it in great detail, making it an ideal laboratory for studying what happened during the formation and evolution of galaxies in the early universe.”
This Webb/NIRCam image shows the irregular galaxy NGC 4449. Image courtesy of NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / A. Adamo, Stockholm University / FEAST JWST Team.
NGC 4449 was observed as part of the FEAST (Feedback in Emerging extrAgalactic Star cluSTers) survey.
The image is MIRI on the Web (mid-infrared measuring instrument) and NIR Cam (Near infrared camera) equipment.
“Infrared observations reveal the galaxy's crawling tentacles of gas, dust and stars,” the astronomers said.
“The bright blue dots reveal countless individual stars, while the bright yellow regions spread across the galaxy show concentrated active stellar nurseries where new stars are forming.”
“The orange-red areas show the distribution of a type of carbon-based compound known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The MIRI F770W filter is particularly well suited to imaging these important molecules.”
“The bright red spots correspond to hydrogen-rich regions that have been ionized by radiation from newly formed stars.”
“The diffuse gradient of blue light around the central region indicates the distribution of old stars.”
“The compact light blue regions within the red ionized gas are concentrated mainly in the outer regions of the galaxy and represent the distribution of young star clusters.”
Source: www.sci.news
