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   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    NASA's Webb Space Telescope peers behind bars    
      
     Date:   
         June 5, 2023   
     Source:   
         NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center   
     Summary:   
         A delicate tracery of dust and bright star clusters threads across   
         this image from the James Webb Space Telescope. The bright tendrils   
         of gas and stars belong to the barred spiral galaxy NGC 5068, whose   
         bright central bar is visible in the upper left of this image --   
         a composite from two of Webb's instruments.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
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   A delicate tracery of dust and bright star clusters threads across this   
   image from the James Webb Space Telescope. The bright tendrils of gas   
   and stars belong to the barred spiral galaxy NGC 5068, whose bright   
   central bar is visible in the upper left of this image -- a composite   
   from two of Webb's instruments. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson revealed   
   the image Friday during an event with students at the Copernicus Science   
   Centre in Warsaw, Poland.   
      
   NGC 5068 lies around 20 million light-years from Earth in the   
   constellation Virgo. This image of the central, bright star-forming   
   regions of the galaxy is part of a campaign to create an astronomical   
   treasure trove, a repository of observations of star formation in   
   nearby galaxies. Previous gems from this collection can be seen here   
   (IC 5332) and here (M74). These observations are particularly valuable to   
   astronomers for two reasons. The first is because star formation underpins   
   so many fields in astronomy, from the physics of the tenuous plasma that   
   lies between stars to the evolution of entire galaxies. By observing the   
   formation of stars in nearby galaxies, astronomers hope to kick- start   
   major scientific advances with some of the first available data from Webb.   
      
   The second reason is that Webb's observations build on other studies   
   using telescopes including the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based   
   observatories.   
      
   Webb collected images of 19 nearby star-forming galaxies which astronomers   
   could then combine with Hubble images of 10,000 star clusters,   
   spectroscopic mapping of 20,000 star-forming emission nebulae from   
   the Very Large Telescope (VLT), and observations of 12,000 dark, dense   
   molecular clouds identified by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter   
   Array (ALMA). These observations span the electromagnetic spectrum and   
   give astronomers an unprecedented opportunity to piece together the   
   minutiae of star formation.   
      
   With its ability to peer through the gas and dust enshrouding newborn   
   stars, Webb is particularly well-suited to explore the processes governing   
   star formation. Stars and planetary systems are born amongst swirling   
   clouds of gas and dust that are opaque to visible-light observatories   
   like Hubble or the VLT.   
      
   The keen vision at infrared wavelengths of two of Webb's instruments   
   -- MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera)   
   -- allowed astronomers to see right through the gargantuan clouds of   
   dust in NGC 5068 and capture the processes of star formation as they   
   happened. This image combines the capabilities of these two instruments,   
   providing a truly unique look at the composition of NGC 5068.   
      
   The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's premier space science   
   observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond   
   to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures   
   and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international   
   program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency)   
   and the Canadian Space Agency.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Space_&_Time   
                   # Stars # Galaxies # NASA # Space_Telescopes # Astronomy #   
                   Space_Exploration # Astrophysics # Space_Station   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Barred_spiral_galaxy o Andromeda_Galaxy o Blue_supergiant_star   
             o Galaxy o Hubble_Deep_Field o Globular_cluster o Supergiant   
             o Spitzer_space_telescope   
      
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   Story Source: Materials provided by   
   NASA/Goddard_Space_Flight_Center. Note: Content may be edited for style   
   and length.   
      
      
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   Related Multimedia:   
       * Barred_spiral_galaxy_NGC_5068   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230605181210.htm   
      
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