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Cartwheel Galaxy (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Compass Image)
Image of the Cartwheel Galaxy, along with two smaller companion galaxies, captured by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), with compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference.
The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the relationship between north and east on the sky (as seen from below) is flipped relative to direction arrows on a map of the ground (as seen from above).
The scale bar is labeled in light-years, which is the distance that light travels in one Earth-year. (It takes 100,000 years for light to travel a distance equal to the length of the bar.) One light-year is equal to about 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers. The field of view shown in this image is approximately 340,000 light-years across.
This image shows invisible near- and mid-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colors. The color key shows which NIRCam and MIRI filters were used when collecting the light. The color of each filter name is the visible light color used to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.00:37:41.09
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-33:42:59.0
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Sculptor
- DistanceDistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.500 million light-years (150 Mpc)
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.Image is 2.34 arcmin across (about 340,000 light-years)
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.This image was created with Webb data from proposal: 2727. It is part of Webb Early Release Observations.
The Early Release Observations and associated materials were developed, executed, and compiled by the ERO production team:
Jaclyn Barrientes, Claire Blome, Hannah Braun, Matthew Brown, Margaret Carruthers, Dan Coe, Joseph DePasquale, Nestor Espinoza, Macarena Garcia Marin, Karl Gordon, Alaina Henry, Leah Hustak, Andi James, Ann Jenkins, Anton Koekemoer, Stephanie LaMassa, David Law, Alexandra Lockwood, Amaya Moro-Martin, Susan Mullally, Alyssa Pagan, Dani Player, Klaus Pontoppidan, Charles Proffitt, Christine Pulliam, Leah Ramsay, Swara Ravindranath, Neill Reid, Massimo Robberto, Elena Sabbi, Leonardo Ubeda.
The EROs were also made possible by the foundational efforts and support from the JWST instruments, STScI planning and scheduling, Data Management teams, and Office of Public Outreach.
- InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.MIRI, NIRCam
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.10-11 June 2022
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.NIRCam> F090W, F150W, F200W, F277W, F356W, F444W MIRI> F770W, F1000W, F1280W, F1800W
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Cartwheel Galaxy, ESO 350-40, AM0035-335
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Interacting Galaxies
- Release DateAugust 2, 2022
- Science ReleaseWebb Captures Stellar Gymnastics in the Cartwheel Galaxy
- CreditImage: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team
These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the James Webb Space Telescope using the MIRI and NIRCam instruments. Several filters were used to sample narrow and broad wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Red: F444W + F356W Orange: F770W + F1000W + F1280W + F1800W Yellow: F277W Green: F200W Blue: F150W + F090W
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Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team
