Watch| James Webb's remarkable image of spiral galaxy just slightly bigger than our Milky Way

Updated : Sep 29, 2022 20:52
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Editorji News Desk

The James Webb Telescope has sent back some stunning images of a spiral galaxy named IC 5332. The space observatory used its Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) to capture the extreme detailed image. 

Earlier, NASA's Hubble had taken a photo of the galaxy but Webb's powerful imaging gives unparalleled detailing to the galaxy's structure. 

The Hubble's image showcases dark regions separating the spiral arms of the galaxy whereas Webb's image shows a continuity in the spiral arms' shape. Astronomers believe that this difference is due to the presence of dusty regions in the galaxy. 

Also Watch| Video: NASA's James Webb telescope captures never-seen-before young stars

The galaxy which is 29 million light years away from Earth directly faces the planet making it easier for observers to look at its spiral arms minutely. IC-5332 is just a little bigger than the Milky Way with a 66,000 light years diameter.

"MIRI is the first instrument that delivers mid-infrared images that are sharp enough to be easily matched to Hubble’s view at shorter wavelengths," according to the European Space Agency, which developed the MIRI instrument jointly with NASA.

The instrument is sensitive to the mid-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. According to NASA, the instrument requires a frigid environment to function at the highest level. 

James Webb TelescopeHubble Space Telescope

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