Have you ever imagined a galaxy that looks like a Mexican hat” That’s why the Sombrero Galaxy, also called Messier 104 (M104), got its name.
But in a new image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, it looks more like an archery target than a hat!
What did the James Webb image reveal”
The James Webb used a special instrument called MIRI (*Mid-Infrared Instrument*), which “sees” the universe in infrared light.
Thanks to it, the Sombrero Galaxy was seen in a whole new way:
– The bright center disappeared! In visible light, the galaxy usually has a bright nucleus, but in infrared light, James Webb showed a smooth, telltale inner disk.
– The details of the outer ring: The ring, which appeared smooth in the old Spitzer images, now shows “lumps” of dust.
This dust is essential for forming stars and planets in the universe.
– Star-forming regions: These dusty clumps, detected by MIRI, contain molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
They indicate areas where stars may be forming, although the Sombrero is not a place with a lot of new stars.
While the Milky Way forms about 2 solar masses of stars per year, the Sombrero forms less than 1.
The Sombrero’s quiet black hole:
At the center of the galaxy, there is a supermassive black hole with a gigantic mass, about 9 billion times the mass of our Sun! Despite being so large, it is “quiet”, slowly consuming material around it and emitting a bright but small jet.
Curiosities of the galaxy:
Within the Sombrero, there are about 2,000 globular clusters.
These clusters are formed by hundreds of thousands of old stars, all trapped by gravity.
For astronomers, these clusters are like natural laboratories, where they can study stars that are the same age but have different masses and characteristics.
https://youtu.be/B7RJPQqAkXo
What else is in the image”
In the background of the image captured by James Webb, there are several galaxies of different shapes and colors.
These colors help scientists learn more about these galaxies, such as how far they are from Earth.
Where is the Sombrero Galaxy”
The Sombrero Galaxy is about 30 million light-years from Earth, in the constellation Virgo.
This means that the light we see from it today began traveling toward us long before any human beings existed!
Why is this discovery important”
Thanks to the James Webb Telescope, scientists are seeing never-before-seen details about galaxies like the Sombrero.
Each new image helps us better understand the universe, how it works, and how stars, planets, and galaxies form and evolve.
This shows us how much we still have to learn!
Published in 11/25/2024 20h33
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