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Scientists classify it as a super-bright galaxy. Arp 220 is about 250 million light-years from Earth, but it emits 300 times more light than our entire Milky Way galaxy.. For comparison, according to NASA, the American space agency, our galaxy has a much more modest illumination, about ten billion suns.
And what caused all that glow was something that started about 700 million years ago, when the two spiral galaxies that make up the system began colliding, triggering a massive burst of star formation.
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Also according to the space agency, all of this led to the formation of 200 massive star clusters, which clump together into a compact, dusty region “only” 5,000 light-years in diameter (about 5% of the Milky Way’s diameter). .
It is so compact that all the gas in Arp 220 would be enough to fill the same volume as all the gas in our galaxy.
Even the famous Hubble telescope, which is still in operation and very relevant in scientific research, has recorded some records of this system, such as the image below, released in 2008 (see below).
Webb’s difference, however, is that the new image reveals more details about the system, such as material being removed from the galaxies by gravity (represented by hues of blue in the telescope’s image), as well as outflows and filaments of organic material in a darker, reddish color.
In the video below, remember the first images Webb released and understand why the Super Telescope was so cool.
Why do NASA images promise to revolutionize science? Understand the images of the James Webb Telescope
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