NASA's Webb Telescope Sees Rare Galaxy Hidden From Hubble By Space Dust
To celebrate its fourth anniversary, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has pierced through the thick blankets of cosmic dust that once obscured the chaotic inner workings of Centaurus A, an active galaxy located 11 million light-years away.
Even though its close proximity has made it a prime target for astronomers, Centaurus A’s true nature has remained shrouded in mystery. Visible light observations from the Hubble Space Telescope were not possible due to dense lanes of dark dust spanning the galaxy's center. Later attempts by the retired Spitzer Space Telescope mapped the larger infrared structures but lacked the power to resolve individual features.
Leave it to the busy-bee Webb to break the stalemate, then. By utilizing its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam)and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), the telescope managed to reveal a vibrant, hyper-detailed landscape of stars and gas. What you see in the heart of Centaurus A is violent scars of a...
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