Close-up: Spiral Arms of Galaxy Messier 51 in Canes Venatici | Webb Telescope

Close-up: Spiral Arms of Galaxy Messier 51 in Canes Venatici | Webb Telescope

This image shows a section of one of the spiral arms of Messier 51 (M51), one of the four galaxies examined in a new study, as seen by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). The thick clumps of star-forming gas are shown here in red and orange, representing infrared light emitted by ionized gas, dust grains, and complex molecules, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Within these gas complexes, each tens or hundreds of light years across, Webb reveals the dense, extremely bright clusters of massive stars that have just recently formed. The countless stars strewn across the arm of the galaxy, many of which would be invisible to our eyes behind layers of dust, are also laid bare in infrared light.

Astronomers using Webb together with the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope have looked deeply at thousands of young star clusters in four nearby galaxies, studying clusters across stages of evolution. Their findings show that more massive star clusters emerge more quickly from the clouds they are born in, clearing away gas and filling the galaxy with ultraviolet light. The result gives us a more detailed understanding of star formation in galaxies, as well as how and where planets can form.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Pedrini, A. Adamo (Stockholm University) and the FEAST JWST team

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: May 6, 2026

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