Spiral galaxies, evidence of black holes: See 'mind-blowing' images snapped by NASA telescope

Galaxies brimming with stars and even evidence of supermassive black holes can be seen in stunning new photos unveiled by NASA captured by its James Webb Space Telescope.

The Monday release of 19 images depicting spiraling galaxies comes nearly two years after the arrival of the first images captured by Webb, and a little more than two months after NASA's counterpart in Europe released images from its own groundbreaking telescope.

The collection depicts millions of stars clustered at galaxies' cores in near- and mid-infrared light, serving as the latest example of Webb's astonishing capabilities to reveal distant, mysterious corners of our universe.

In a statement, Janice Lee, a project scientist for strategic initiatives at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, called the images "mind-blowing, even for researchers who have studied these same galaxies for decades."

“Webb’s new images are extraordinary,” Lee said. "Bubbles and filaments are resolved down to the smallest scales ever observed, and tell a story about the star formation cycle.”

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James Webb photos show spiral galaxies, millions of stars

Astronomers have for decades been able to observe these nearby spiral galaxies, but this is the first time images of them have been presented to the public, NASA said.

Webb’s high-resolution images – captured with a NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) – show millions of stars, which sparkle in blue tones. Some stars are spread throughout the spiral arms, but others are clumped tightly together in star clusters.

Shades of orange and red indicate where the telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) observed glowing dust existing around and between stars. The MIRI also spotlights stars appearing bright red that haven’t fully formed, but are rather encased in gas and dust that help them grow, according to NASA.

“These are where we can find the newest, most massive stars in the galaxies,” Erik Rosolowsky, a professor of physics at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, said in a statement.

Scientists also believe that several galaxy cores displaying pink-and-red diffraction spikes serve as signs that these galaxies may have central active supermassive black holes.

Scientists hope to learn more about star formations

The spiral galaxies are Webb’s first contributions to the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) program, which is supported by more than 150 astronomers worldwide.

By studying these structures, astronomers hope to gain new insights into how stars form within galaxies.

Teams of researchers are now studying the images to uncover the origins of these intricate structures. Forthcoming research should ultimately help humanity better understand not only star formation, but the evolution of spiral galaxies, NASA said.

“Stars can live for billions or trillions of years,” Adam Leroy, a professor of astronomy at the Ohio State University in Columbus, said in a statement. “By precisely cataloging all types of stars, we can build a more reliable, holistic view of their life cycles.”

Many discoveries made possible by Webb

Ever since the James Webb Space Telescope launched in 2021 into space, astronomers have increasingly turned to the powerful observatory to make new cosmic discoveries.

In Webb's three years, the telescope has offered stunning views of our solar system's planets, galaxies, stars and other parts of the universe never glimpsed before.

From ancient ghost galaxies to strangely synchronized orbiting planets, last year was one teaming with cosmic discoveries made possible by the publicly-available data from Webb's observations. Thanks to Webb, researchers last year learned more about mysterious star-orbiting exoplanets outside our solar system including one that rains down sand.

Scientists have also been able to turn to Webb to aid the discovery of exoplanets similar to our own and even to uncover evidence of a possible ocean world larger than Earth with conditions that could support life.

The powerful Webb telescope has also helped scientists yield valuable insights into enigmatic black holes.

Last year, researchers were able to pinpoint the oldest black hole ever discovered, confirming the theory that supermassive black holes were part of the early universe. Formed 470 million years after the Big Bang, the supermassive black holes are 10 times bigger than the black hole in our own Milky Way.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]