Four of the first scientific quality images from NASA's latest observatory have been improved by X-ray vision. New collaboration with NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory shows that while JWST is the most powerful space telescope built to date, it shows that it can perform its maximum power when combined with other observatories.
JWST is designed to observe the universe with infrared rays, so its work will be enhanced when combined with , an instrument that observes space with different wavelengths of light, such as the Chandra Observatory with X-ray vision. According to NASA's latest release, the first images that were upgraded using Chandra X-ray data reveal new features that JWST cannot see.
Stephen Quintet
JWST images of these galaxies show features that astronomers have never seen before, especially the result of their interactions, such as the explosion of gas tails and strong star formation. When combining data from Chandra and the retired Spitzer Space Telescope , observations from Stephen Quintet revealed an unprecedented shock wave that heats the gas to tens of millions of degrees, which is generated by one of the galaxies passing through other galaxies at a speed of about 3 million km/h.
Wheel Galaxy
This galaxy formed a unique shape when it collided with a smaller galaxy 100 million years ago. As the smaller galaxy passes through the center of the wheel galaxy, it also begins a fierce round of star formation. Chandra's data reveals X-rays in the wheel galaxy, emitted by superheated gases and individually exploded stars, as well as neutron stars and black holes that greedily feed on ripping matter from companion star and tear matter.
SMACS J0723
This is perhaps the most shining one of the first JWST photos. The SMACS J0723 galaxy cluster is 4.2 billion light years away from the earth. Chandra's complement to these observations reveals gases heated to tens of millions of degrees, with cluster like SMACS J0723 having thousands of galaxies and huge reservoirs of superheated gases. Scientists estimate that the total mass of gas found in collaboration between JWST and Chandra is about 100 trillion times that of solar mass .
Ship Base Nebula
This cosmic cliff is about 7,600 light years away from the Earth. Through Chandra's enhanced data, more than a dozen X-ray sources are revealed, most of which are stars located in the outer region of the Ship Base Nebula cluster. These stars are between 1 million and 2 million years old and they are very young in the universe. Chandra's data here are particularly helpful in identifying young stars in the ship's base nebula and distinguishing them from older stars that may lurk in JWST's line of sight.
During the planned service life of five years but may be extended to over 20 years, JWST will cooperate with other space-based instruments such as Chandra and telescopes on Earth to reveal more secrets in the depths of the universe.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-