NASA and its partners, the European and Canadian space agencies, are celebrating the second year since the James Webb telescope began sending back pictures of the universe by launching a image of the penguin and the egg Galaxies. These are interacting galaxies collectively known as Arp 142, located 326 million light-years from Earth, captured by the James Webb telescope in interactive light.
The galaxies first interacted between 25 and 75 million years ago, triggering the formation of new stars. Previous research has shown that Penguin (yes, that's the bird-headed galaxy in the center of the image) has been producing 100 to 200 stars a year, while the Milky Way is producing only six to seven new stars a year. In this image taken by James Webb, the interaction between the two galaxies is marked by a faintly glowing inverted U. Note that although Penguin appears larger than the Egg galaxy to its left, they have roughly the same mass. If either galaxy were smaller, they would have merged by now.
In addition to the galaxies featured prominently in the image, more distant galaxies are also visible in the background. The space agencies said it is a “testament to the sensitivity and resolution of Webb’s infrared cameras.” NASA and its partners launched the James Webb telescope in late 2021 after more than a decade of delays caused by rising costs and construction issues. The agencies released the first image ever captured — the deepest view of the distant universe — in July 2022. Last year, they also marked their first anniversary with an image of a nearby stellar nursery.
