For well over a year now, astronomers using the James Webb space telescope have been releasing
mind blowing image after mind blowing image. And its most recent views of the universe are
no exception. But today we will be taking a look at this stunning new Webb image,
revealing a crowded field of galactic fossils, along with a handful of beautifully bright stars
and a large magnificent spiral Galaxy that is accompanied by a little galaxy just below it.
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So what are we actually seeing in this spectacular new view of the universe, well the object that
stands out the most is that glorious spiral galaxy in the foreground, named LEDA 2046648.
It is located a little over a billion light years away, in the constellation Hercules,
which is incredible when you look at the amount of detail that Webb has managed to capture.
Just below it, another galaxy about one quarter the size can also be seen. Both have a brightly
glowing core and areas of star formation that is lighting up their spiralling arms.
But the most fascinating thing about this image is what is happening in the background because
there are only a handful of close stars that can be seen, each crowned by Webb's
signature six-pointed diffraction spikes. Every other bright object in this image,
is a distant galaxy, each containing billions of stars, and likely billions
of planets as well. In this image alone, an unimaginable amount of strange worlds exist.
Some of the background galaxies are large enough that we can make out their spiral structures,
while others look as though they are mere smudges. A variety of colours can
be seen scattered across the dark canvas of the universe, but mostly shades of orange and red.
As the universe expands and these celestial objects move farther away,
their light is stretched during its journey to us. This process is called "red shift",
and occurs when the wavelength of the light is stretched,
so the light is seen as 'shifted' towards the red part of the spectrum.
Because of Webb's powerful infrared capabilities, we are able to view this stretched light,
allowing us to peer back in time at these distant galaxies as they were billions of
years ago. Many of which can be seen, as they looked during the universe's infancy.
By studying images such as this one, scientists can compare these galactic fossils, with modern
galaxies, allowing them to learn more about how these enormous structures evolve over time.
So now that you know a little bit about what is happening in this magnificent new Webb image,
let's take one last look, while listening to some suitable music that will allow your
mind to wonder. Think about what might be occurring in each of those distant galaxies,
what types of worlds might be orbiting those bright stars,
and consider the possibility that intelligent beings might be looking back.
Wow, What a stunning image. If you enjoyed this video, then why not tap
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Thank you for watching and I'll see you next time.