NGC 1433 – MIRI

NGC 1433 is a Seyfert galaxy, which are typically relatively close to Earth and has a supermassive black hole at the centre eating material at a high rate. The brightness and lack of dust in the MIRI image of NGC 1433 could hint at a recent collision with another galaxy.

The James Webb Space Telescope provides insight into how the formation of young stars influences the evolution of nearby galaxies. Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) captured NGC 1433’s spiral arms, which are littered with evidence of extremely young stars releasing energy and, in some cases, blowing out the gas and dust of the interstellar medium. This image is a strong display of how dynamic processes associated with forming stars influence the larger structure of an entire galaxy. (Credits: ESA, NASA, Image processing: A. Pagan (STScI), CSA, Janice Lee (NSF's NOIRLab))