NASA Webb Uncovers Unusual Galaxy Shaped by Cosmic Collision

July 06, 2026 10:00AM (EDT)Release ID: 2026-120
A horizontal image of the galaxy Centaurus A stretches across a black background filled with thousands of tiny purple, pink, and white points of light. The galaxy is brightest at its center, where a brilliant white and pale pink glow radiates outward. Eight diffraction spikes extend from the central glow. Delicate loops and wispy ribbons of pink and lavender arc above and below the center of the image in the shape of an ‘S’. A band of gray and white dust in the shape of a parallelogram cuts across the middle of the galaxy. Mottled patches and bright knots are scattered throughout the dusty band. The galaxy’s outer edges fade into soft, cloud-like plumes with feathery textures that stretch toward the left and right sides of the image. Against the surrounding darkness, a few bright foreground stars shine with Webb’s distinctive diffraction spikes, while countless fainter stars create a speckled backdrop.

Summary

Hidden structures of a galaxy shaped by past collision come into view in infrared light

For more than 200 years, Centaurus A has fascinated astronomers, continually revealing new discoveries as ground- and space-based telescopes have grown more powerful and expanded humanity’s view across the electromagnetic spectrum. First cataloged in the early 1800s, the galaxy later became known as one of the brightest radio sources in the sky and was eventually recognized as the product of a dramatic galactic merger. Today, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is taking astronomers farther than ever in the study of Centaurus A, piercing through thick dust to reveal hidden stars, structures, and activity in extraordinary detail, helping scientists trace how this turbulent galaxy formed and continues to evolve.

Full Article

In new images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary, a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer, and far more complex, than ever seen before. Webb’s unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts through the thick lanes of dust that obscure Centaurus A’s center in visible light, showing a densely packed tapestry of individual stars and an active, everchanging galaxy. These images mark four years of better-than-anticipated performance and successful science operations for the most powerful space ...

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News releases highlighting the discoveries of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope are produced for NASA by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, under NASA Contract NAS5-03127. News release content is developed by the News Team in STScI’s Office of Public Outreach.

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