APOD: 2026 September 16 Б Webb's View of M64
Explanation:
Sometimes where
Hubble
finds darkness,
Webb
sees light. An example is todayБs composite images of
Messier 64 (M64),
a nearby
spiral galaxy
of many names.
The dark band of
dust
partially blocking its bright core earned it the moniker
Б
the Black Eye Galaxy.Б
WebbБs Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI)
sees that dust, shown in red, as it absorbs and re-emits light from surrounding newborn stars.
These young stars are embedded in pink star-forming regions in the secondary Hubble-only image.
M64Бs inner and outer gas regions
counter-rotate,
creating regions of increased star formation where the two gas БcurrentsБ meet and compress.
A merger between M64 and a smaller galaxy was likely the cause of the opposing motion of the
outer gas. Spiral galaxies were once thought to have peaceful histories.
M64 was key evidence that spiral galaxies, including the
Milky Way,
can and do experience mergers. WebbБs view of M64 will tell astronomers about the structure,
motion, and composition of the galaxyБs dust and add context to the galaxyБs merger history and
evolution.
APOD's main NASA site is
moving:
From apod.nasa.gov to
science.nasa.gov/apod
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
