The European Space Agency (ESA) has released a new image of the spiral galaxy NGC 2283, captured using its James Webb Space Telescope. The galaxy is approximately 45 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major and is classified as a barred spiral galaxy.
The image was taken by the telescope’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), and shows the galaxy’s central bar of stars surrounded by loosely wound spiral arms. The data was collected over 10 minutes, using four snapshots taken with different near-infrared filters.
The image reveals the emission from NGC 2283’s sparkling stellar population, as well as the light from clouds of hydrogen gas that have been heated by young stars. Sooty molecules also emit light in the wavelength range surveyed by NIRCam.
This new image is part of an observing programme dedicated to understanding the connections between stars, gas, and dust in nearby star-forming galaxies. The galaxy NGC 2283 is one of 55 galaxies in the local Universe examined by Webb for this programme.
The image shows the dense knots of gas illuminated by young stars, which are evidence for active star formation that is turning cold hydrogen gas into blazing stars. Galaxies with active star formation often play host to spectacular stellar explosions called core-collapse supernovae.
A Type II supernova named SN 2023AXU was discovered in NGC 2283 just over two years ago, and the image provides a unique opportunity to study this phenomenon further. The explosion of a supernova can fling gas across hundreds of light-years, enriching the star-forming clouds of the interstellar medium with elements like oxygen and sodium.
This stunning image is a testament to the James Webb Space Telescope’s capabilities and its ability to capture breathtaking views of the universe.
Source: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/02/Webb_visits_a_star-forming_spiral