Seen here are three different views of the galaxy M51 (also known as NGC 5194) by the Webb telescope. The gravity of M51’s neighbor, the dwarf galaxy NGC 5195, is thought to be partially responsible for those prominent and distinct spiral arms!
The top image was taken by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). While MIRI brings out the web-like structure of the dust in the galaxy, Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) focuses more on ionized gas from newly formed star clusters — as seen in the bottom left image.
Both MIRI and NIRCam data are combined for the composite image on the bottom right.
These observations are part of the FEAST (Feedback in Emerging extrAgalactic Star clusTers) program, which aims to discover and study stellar nurseries in galaxies beyond our own Milky Way. Learn more: https://esawebb.org/images/potm2308a/
Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Adamo and the FEAST JWST team
