NGC 7496 – MIRI

NGC 7496 is a barred spiral galaxy that lies over 24 million light-years away from Earth. At its centre is an active galactic nucleus (AGN). AGN is another way to refer to an active supermassive black hole that is emitting jets and winds.

The James Webb Space Telescope provides insight into how the formation of young stars influences the evolution of nearby galaxies. Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) captured NGC 7496’s spiral arms, which are filled with cavernous bubbles and shells overlapping one another. The filaments and hollow cavities are evidence of young stars releasing energy and, in some cases, blowing out the gas and dust of the interstellar medium surrounding them.  (Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Janice Lee (NSF's NOIRLab), Image processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI))