On August 2, the United States space agency (NASA) shared stunning images of the Cartwheel Galaxy on social media, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
The Cartwheel Galaxy has a diameter of about 150,000 light-years, located in the Sculptor constellation. (Ngọc Phu).
Located approximately 500 million light-years away from us, the Cartwheel Galaxy is considered one of the most unusual galaxies, with many details obscured by dust.
The space agency stated in a release that these rare images of the Cartwheel Galaxy will shed light on how galaxies have evolved over billions of years, revealing fascinating details about star formation and the black hole at its center.
The structure of the Cartwheel Galaxy is assessed as very complex with 2 rings; the outer ring consists of gas for star formation and is continuously expanding, while the inner ring contains the core, surrounded by older stars.
NASA experts revealed that the Cartwheel Galaxy will continue to change in shape and structure in the future, and its final form remains a mystery.
True to its nickname “Cartwheel”, the Cartwheel Galaxy resembles a wagon wheel, a result of a violent collision between a spiral galaxy and a smaller galaxy. This caused high-speed shockwaves, creating a ring of gas and dust and stars around it. NASA describes this effect as similar to the ripples created when a stone is thrown into a pond.
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched on Christmas Day in 2021 and reached its orbit in February of this year. Webb’s infrared camera, capable of seeing through cosmic dust, has captured images of galaxies more than 100 billion light-years away.
