NASA's Webb Probes an Extreme Starburst Galaxy

  • Released Wednesday, April 3, 2024
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A team of astronomers has used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to survey the starburst galaxy Messier 82 (M82).

Located 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, this galaxy is relatively compact in size but hosts a frenzy of star formation activity. For comparison, M82 is sprouting new stars 10 times faster than the Milky Way galaxy.

Using Webb to Inspect the activity in galaxies like these can deepen astronomers’ understanding of the early universe by getting a closer look at the physical conditions that foster the formation of new stars.


For more information, visit https://webb.nasa.gov/.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Paul Morris: Lead Producer
Isabelle Yan: Producer
Dr. Stefanie N Milam: Voiceover
Thaddeus Cesari: Script
Abigail Major, STScI: Script

Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Music Credit:
"A Simpler Time" by Oskari Nurminen [ASCAP] via Universal Publishing Prod. Music Nordic [STIM], and Universal Production Music.

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Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However, please credit individual items as indicated above.

This page was originally published on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
This page was last updated on Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 3:52 PM EDT.

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