NasaThe James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is helping scientists unravel the mystery of spiral galaxies and has captured a detailed image of several of them belonging to the early universe from a period known as “cosmic noon”.
The period is eight to ten billion years ago when galaxies formed about half of their current stellar mass, making this group the furthest to be seen by human eyes.
While the Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope have provided observations of these twisted collections of stars and gas, JWST’s ability to capture incredible detail will allow scientists to understand the detailed shapes and properties.
One of the three observed by JWST is a passive spiral galaxy that does not give birth to new stars, and the discovery could reveal that this rare spiral galaxy is abundant throughout the universe.
While the Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope have provided observations of these twisted collections of stars and gas, JWST’s ability to capture incredible detail will allow scientists to understand the detailed shapes and properties.
Red spiral galaxies are rare, representing only 2% of galaxies in the local universe, and their color usually signifies that they formed in the early universe.
For this reason, astronomers search for these formations, hoping that they will reveal more secrets to us about the early universe.
Using the powerful mechanisms of JWST, NASA hopes to piece together the star formation history of this galaxy which it says formed billions of years ago – shortly after the Big Bang.
JWST captured three spirals while investigating deep space: RS12, RS13, and RS14.
And all of them are in the SMACS 0723 field.
The morphology of spiral galaxies is of great importance because “it offers insight into the mechanism of galaxy formation, when observed through cosmic time”, according to scientists at Waseda University, Japan, who conducted the research.
“In particular, the question of when and where the morphology of galaxies emerged in the early Universe is still the subject of much research.”
Using spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis, the researchers measured the energy distribution over a wide range of wavelengths for these galaxies.
The results revealed that the red spirals formed at least three billion years after the big bang, when the universe began.
Also, one of the detailed images shows a passive spiral galaxy, which contradicts the idea that all of these formations in the early universe were active.
By passive, the team means that it does not develop new stars.
And JWST’s observation means there could be more hiding places in the universe than previously believed.
Junior researcher Yoshinobu Fudamoto said in a statement: “Overall, the results of this study greatly improve our knowledge of red spiral galaxies and the universe as a whole.”
“Our study showed for the first time that passive spiral galaxies could be abundant in the early universe.
“Although this paper is a pilot study of spiral galaxies in the early universe, the confirmation and development of this study would greatly influence our understanding of the formation and evolution of galactic morphologies.”
Two of the three galaxies are still giving birth to new stars, while the third is passive – not forming new stars
JWST has taken other images of spiral galaxies, including one that reveals the chaos of the Cartwheel Galaxy which lies 489.2 million light-years from Earth.
Much like that of a wagon wheel, its appearance is the result of an extreme event – a high-speed collision between a large spiral galaxy and a smaller galaxy not visible in this image.
Other telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope, have examined the cartwheel before.
But the dramatic galaxy has been shrouded in mystery – perhaps quite literally, given how much dust obscures the view.
JWST’s infrared abilities mean it can ‘see through time’ just 100-200 million years from the Big Bang, allowing it to snap photos of the very first stars to shine in the universe there. more than 13.5 billion years old.
JWST has taken more images of spiral galaxies, including one that reveals the chaos of the Cartwheel Galaxy which lies 489.2 million light-years from Earth.
His first images of nebulae, an exoplanet and galaxy clusters sparked huge celebrations in the scientific world on what was hailed as a “great day for humanity”.
Researchers will soon begin to learn more about the masses, ages, histories and compositions of galaxies as the telescope seeks to explore the earliest galaxies in the universe.
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James Webb Telescope: NASA’s $10 billion telescope designed to detect light from early stars and galaxies
The James Webb Telescope has been described as a “time machine” that could help unlock the secrets of our universe.
The telescope will be used to look back at the first galaxies born in the early universe more than 13.5 billion years ago, and observe the sources of stars, exoplanets and even moons and planets in our solar system.
The vast telescope, which has already cost more than $7bn (£5bn), is seen as the successor to the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope
The James Webb Telescope and most of its instruments have an operating temperature of around 40 Kelvin – about minus 387 Fahrenheit (minus 233 Celsius).
It is the largest and most powerful orbiting space telescope in the world, capable of observing 100 to 200 million years after the Big Bang.
The orbiting infrared observatory is designed to be about 100 times more powerful than its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA likes to think of James Webb as a successor to Hubble rather than a replacement, as the two will be working in tandem for some time.
The Hubble Telescope was launched on April 24, 1990 via Space Shuttle Discovery from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
It circles the Earth at a speed of approximately 17,000 mph (27,300 km/h) in low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 340 miles.
