NASA - Poster - 4b. Stephan's Quintet (NIRCam Only) - James Webb Space Telescope

Have one of the fourth images of the James Webb Space Telescope on your wall and be amazed by our space.

Image of a group of five galaxies that appear close to each other in the sky: two in the middle, one toward the top, one to the upper left, and one toward the bottom. Four of the five appear to be touching. One is somewhat separated. In the image, the galaxies are large relative to the hundreds of much smaller (more distant) galaxies in the background. All five galaxies have bright white cores. Each has a slightly different size, shape, structure, and coloring.

At the center of the image are two bright galaxy cores with orange wisps surrounded by a cloud-like aura of white. The cores are close to each other and there is no clear boundary between the galaxies. The top galaxy of the pair has two spiral arms and the other is more elliptical in shape.

The galaxy toward the top of the image has a bright central core, surrounded by orange wisps and tendrils. The core is surrounded by a thin cloud-like aura of white that forms a diffuse spiral arm-like structures that trails off toward the upper left.

Between the top and center galaxies is a large region of bright orange.

The galaxy toward the bottom of the image sits alone, not appearing to touch any of the other four. It is nearly circular in shape and has a bright core surrounded by a cloud-like aura of white. This galaxy is almost completely white: No orange wisps or arms are apparent.

The galaxy toward the upper left has a fuzzy oval shape, with more distinct points of light than are apparent in the other four galaxies. Within the oval is a bright core with orange wisps and a vague spiral structure. The core of this galaxy is not as bright or distinct as the cores of the other four galaxies.

In the background of the image are numerous smaller, more distant galaxies of various colors, shapes, sizes, and brightness. Scattered across the image, in front of the galaxies are number of foreground stars with diffraction spikes: bright white points, each with eight bright lines radiating out from the center. The sizes of the stars and diffraction spikes vary. Some are superimposed on the large galaxies. The largest is to the upper right of the group of galaxies.