NASA Webb Telescope Unlocks Millions Of Stars Hidden In Cigar Galaxy
NASA’s hard-working James Webb Space Telescope has successfully pierced through interstellar dust to capture 16.5 million stars inside the Cigar Galaxy. Once again, thanks to its infrared instruments, the observatory has unlocked a stunning, detailed view of the galaxy that looks too stunning for words (we'll give you a few seconds to gawk at the photos on this page).
Situated 12 million light-years away in the Ursa Major constellation, Messier 82 (M82), a.k.a. the Cigar Galaxy (due to its elongated shape) is a starburst galaxy. It is currently undergoing a temporary phase of extreme stellar birth, producing new stars at a rate 10 times faster than the Milky Way. Some believe that this heavy activity is the byproduct of an ancient galactic merger.
While previous observations from the likes of Hubble et alprovided valuable imagery, the sheer volume of thick dust cloaking M82’s central disk severely limited how much...
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