NASA's Webb Will Explore the Cores of Merging Galaxies | NASA

NASA's Webb Will Explore the Cores of Merging Galaxies | NASA

Since the galaxies that make up NGC 7469 are both almost face-on when viewed from Earth, it's easier to identify the areas where a black hole may exist. A powerful accreting supermassive black hole, surrounded by a ring of young stars, lives at the heart of the galaxy in the upper right. High-resolution infrared imagery from the James Webb Space Telescope is required to determine if the stars form differently around a central supermassive black hole compared to star formation farther out in the galaxy's arms. Webb will also help researchers trace the gas outflows, which will help pinpoint where and how the interstellar medium is affected, which subsequently drives or quenches star formation.

Credits: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)