- The European Space Agency revealed crystal clear images of the Phantom Galaxy on Monday.
- It combined images from the Hubble and Webb Telescopes to create a stunning view of the galaxy.
Spectacular new images revealed by the European Space Agency on Monday showcase the heart of the Phantom Galaxy, a spiral of stars and systems located 32 million light-years from Earth.
The images were produced by the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, and show us what the galaxy looks like when scientists combine the capabilities of the two telescopes to form one image.
The Phantom Galaxy belongs to a class known as a "grand design spiral," which means that the arms branching out from its center are prominent and well-defined, ESA wrote.
The Webb Telescope's sharp vision allowed it to detect "delicate filaments of gas and dust" in the Phantom Galaxy's spiral arms, the ESA wrote.
The agency added that a lack of gas in the galaxy's center allows scientists to peer into its nucleus with an unobscured view.
The images were taken as part of a larger effort to chart 19 star-forming galaxies and learn more about the earliest phases of star formation, ESA noted.
The agency also gave credit to civilian scientist Judy Schmidt, who first brought the opportunity for such images to the public's attention.
The Hubble Telescope and Webb Telescope complement each other because the Hubble mostly looks at the universe through ultraviolet light and visible light, while the Webb primarily gazes at the stars through infrared light.
NASA, which partnered the ESA for the creation and usage of both telescopes, initially unveiled images taken by the Webb Telescope in July, giving the public a first look at the unprecedented clarity with which scientists can now observe the universe.