The European Space Agency announced that the James Webb Space Telescope has captured a stunning view of an active star-forming region in the Cigar Galaxy (Messier 82). The images, taken using the mid-infrared camera, revealed previously unseen activity in the galaxy's center.
The galaxy, despite its small size, is five times brighter than the Milky Way and is producing stars at a rate about ten times faster. Scientists believe this intense activity is due to gravitational interactions with the neighboring spiral galaxy (Messier 81), which millions of years ago caused gas to flow toward the Cigar Galaxy's center.
The images also revealed a complex structure of clouds of organic molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the directions of powerful jets emitted by hot, young stars. This phenomenon causes gas to be pushed into intergalactic space, gradually depriving the galaxy of the raw material needed to form new stars.
On the other hand, the new data highlights the dynamics of active galaxies, their relationship to star formation, and the ongoing evolution of the galaxy itself.
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