NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) recently captured a fascinating image of a pair of interacting galaxies, designated Arp 107, which reveals a unique “smiling face.”
Using its Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), JWST provided a highly detailed look at this galactic pair, consisting of an elliptical and a spiral galaxy.
While this object was previously observed by the Spitzer Space Telescope in 2005, Webb’s new image surpasses previous clarity, revealing two bright points and a curved spiral arm that appear to form a smiley face—something never before seen in such detail.
Arp 107’s Smile Captured by Webb’s Advanced Cameras
The NIRCam captured a tidal stream of stars and interstellar gas between the two galaxies, shown in white on the image, a result of their collision.
MIRI data highlighted regions of star formation and organic molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which appear in orange.
Additionally, MIRI detected a supermassive black hole at the center of the spiral galaxy, further enhancing our understanding of this celestial pair.
The spiral galaxy in the system is a Seyfert galaxy, part of a class of galaxies with active galactic nuclei. Unlike more distant and luminous quasars, Seyfert galaxies are closer and less bright, making them prime candidates for study by the James Webb Telescope.
A Cosmic Smile Similar to the Cartwheel Galaxy
This galactic pair resembles the famous Cartwheel Galaxy (PGC 2248), one of the first interacting galaxy systems captured by JWST.
Arp 107, situated 465 million light-years away in the constellation Leo Minor, differs from the Cartwheel Galaxy in that its elliptical galaxy—being the smaller of the two—did not collide with the center of the spiral galaxy; instead, it only interacted with the outer spiral arms.
As a result, only the outer regions of the spiral galaxy were altered by the collision.
The Science of Colliding Galaxies
Studying the dynamics of colliding galaxies is a captivating area of research. During such collisions, interstellar gas can become denser in some regions, triggering the formation of new stars.
The James Webb Space Telescope captured Arp 107 at a moment within a merger process that has lasted hundreds of millions of years.
This means the system’s characteristics will continue to evolve, and the “smiling” face we see today may eventually disappear. However, Arp 107 remains an intriguing system, offering invaluable insights into galactic interactions and the life cycle of galaxies.
As JWST continues its mission, Arp 107 joins the growing list of galaxies that capture both the imagination and scientific curiosity, promising more discoveries in the years to come.
Source: NASA
