To mark four years of science operations, the James Webb Space Telescope (NASA/ESA/CSA) has returned new images of the galaxy Centaurus A. They show millions of individual stars where before there were only solid dark lanes.
Centaurus A is an active galaxy crossed by thick lanes of dust at its centre. In visible light these lanes hide the inner regions: the dust absorbs the light of stars behind it. Until now, the details of the galaxy's core stayed out of reach for observation.
Webb works in near- and mid-infrared wavelengths. Infrared radiation passes through dust better than visible light. This let the telescope look beneath the dust lanes and resolve a tapestry of individual stars, along with signs of active processes in a galaxy that is constantly changing.
The images are tied to Webb's fourth science anniversary. According to the mission team, the telescope has delivered better-than-anticipated performance throughout this time. Centaurus A is a long-familiar galaxy, but the infrared view turned a well-known object into a far richer and more complex picture.