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Galaxy CEERS 4233-42232: Comparison With Quasar Spectrum  

Infographic titled Galaxy CEERS 4233-42232, comparison with quasar spectrum. Text at top right reads NIRSpec, Multi-Object Spectroscopy. Vertical Y axis of graph is labeled Brightness, more with an arrow pointing up and less with an arrow pointing down. Horizontal X axis is labeled Velocity of Gas (miles/second) in increments of one thousand starting with negative 4,000 on the left to 4,000 on the right. The spectrum of the galaxy is shown with a white line that peaks sharply at zero. The spectrum of the quasar example is shown with a dashed blue line that also peaks at zero, but with less brightness and a broader base that begins to increase in brightness at negative 1,000 miles per second the and declines to at about 1,500 miles per second.

This graphic illustrates the pronounced narrow peak of the spectra that caught researchers’ attention in a small sample of galaxies, represented here by the galaxy CEERS 4233-42232. It is the combination of a narrower-than-expected spectra, along with a tiny, point-like appearance, that makes these galaxies stand out. Typically, distant point-like light sources are quasars, but quasar spectra have a much broader shape. 

  • Release Date
    January 6, 2026
  • Science Release
    Scientists Identify ‘Astronomy’s Platypus’ with NASA’s Webb Telescope
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

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Related Images & Videos

James Webb Space Telescope image showing a broad area of space with many small galaxies, four of which are highlighted in pull-out boxes. The four highlighted galaxies are very small, appearing as points of light. Black areas of the overall image indicate where the telescope did not collect data - a vertical section in the center and a square in the lower left corner.

Galaxies in CEERS Field (NIRCam image)

Four of the nine galaxies in the newly identified “platypus” sample were discovered in NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey” (CEERS). One key feature that makes them distinct is their point-like appearance.

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Details

Last Updated
Jan 06, 2026
Location
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

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