NGC 6822 (NIRCam + MIRI image)
Space isn’t always metal.
Here is Webb’s view of NGC 6822, a galactic neighbor with unusually low “metallicity.” This means it doesn’t have much in the way of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.
Before the first generation of stars, everything had very low metallicity — stars had not yet created heavier elements. Studying a contemporary object with low metallicity, like this galaxy, can help us understand more about stars and dust in the early universe.
This image combines Webb’s near and mid-infrared light data. Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) has peered through gas and dust to spotlight countless stars. Meanwhile, its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) focuses more on galactic dust.
More: esawebb.org/images/potm2307a/
Image description:
This is a composite view of irregular galaxy NGC 6822 that combines data from Webb’s NIRCam and MIRI instruments. Together, the images show a dense field of stars with greenish yellow clouds of gas and dust billowing across it. Stars litter the scene. They largely resemble white specks, but some of the stars are a bit larger than the rest and resemble snowflakes with their visible diffraction spikes. The clouds are largely patchy and wispy, but denser areas glow yellow. Bright galaxies of various shapes and sizes shine in red through the gas and stars.
NGC 6822 (NIRCam + MIRI image)
Space isn’t always metal.
Here is Webb’s view of NGC 6822, a galactic neighbor with unusually low “metallicity.” This means it doesn’t have much in the way of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.
Before the first generation of stars, everything had very low metallicity — stars had not yet created heavier elements. Studying a contemporary object with low metallicity, like this galaxy, can help us understand more about stars and dust in the early universe.
This image combines Webb’s near and mid-infrared light data. Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) has peered through gas and dust to spotlight countless stars. Meanwhile, its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) focuses more on galactic dust.
More: esawebb.org/images/potm2307a/
Image description:
This is a composite view of irregular galaxy NGC 6822 that combines data from Webb’s NIRCam and MIRI instruments. Together, the images show a dense field of stars with greenish yellow clouds of gas and dust billowing across it. Stars litter the scene. They largely resemble white specks, but some of the stars are a bit larger than the rest and resemble snowflakes with their visible diffraction spikes. The clouds are largely patchy and wispy, but denser areas glow yellow. Bright galaxies of various shapes and sizes shine in red through the gas and stars.