James Webb Telescope Captures Detailed Image of 'Jellyfish' Galaxy ESO 137-001
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a detailed image of ESO 137-001, a 'jellyfish' galaxy, providing new insights into galactic evolution.
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have obtained a detailed image of ESO 137-001, a 'jellyfish' galaxy located approximately 220 million light-years away in the constellation Triangulum Australe. This galaxy exhibits trailing tendrils of gas and young stars, resembling the tentacles of a jellyfish.
ESO 137-001 is undergoing a process known as 'ram pressure stripping,' where it moves through the hot gas of the galaxy cluster Abell 3627 at high speeds, causing its own gas to be stripped away and forming extended tails. These tails are sites of active star formation, a phenomenon that challenges previous assumptions about star formation in such environments.
The JWST's observations provide new insights into the mechanisms of gas stripping and star formation in galaxy clusters. The research team plans to continue studying ESO 137-001 to further understand the processes influencing galactic evolution.