NASA has released the most detailed image ever recorded of Centaurus A, a galaxy located 11 million light-years from Earth. The publication marks the fourth anniversary of the first images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
NASA releases unprecedented image of galaxy 11 million light years from Earth
NASA has released the most detailed image ever recorded of Centaurus A, a galaxy located 11 million light-years from Earth. The publication marks the fourth anniversary of the first images taken by the James Webb Space...
The first image captured by James Webb was presented to the world on July 11, 2022, by the then president of the United States, Joe Biden. At the time, the record showed part of the new telescope's capabilities and anticipated the impact it would have on science.
Four years later, the North American space agency chose Centaurus A to celebrate the date. The galaxy is known for its peculiar structure, the result of a collision with another galaxy about 2 billion years ago. In the center of it, there is still a black hole.
According to NASA, Centaurus A is made up of dense layers of dust, which made it difficult for other telescopes, such as Hubble, to observe its interior. With James Webb's infrared instruments, however, it was possible to cross this barrier and reveal unprecedented details of the galaxy.
In addition to the beauty of the record, the image will allow scientists to study Centaurus A with a level of precision never achieved before.
“These images mark four years of above-expected performance and successful science operations from the most powerful space telescope in history,” NASA said.
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Source: Noticias ao Minuto - Tech
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