WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.830 align:middle line:90% 00:00:01.830 --> 00:00:05.610 align:middle line:84% This is Arp 142, also affectionately known 00:00:05.610 --> 00:00:07.500 align:middle line:90% as "The Penguin and the Egg." 00:00:07.500 --> 00:00:09.660 align:middle line:84% In this stunning image, we witness 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:16.540 align:middle line:84% two interacting galaxies: NGC 2936 and NGC 2937. 00:00:16.540 --> 00:00:19.680 align:middle line:84% The nickname comes from their remarkable resemblance 00:00:19.680 --> 00:00:20.980 align:middle line:90% to these objects. 00:00:20.980 --> 00:00:25.410 align:middle line:84% Arp 142 is located 326 million light-years 00:00:25.410 --> 00:00:27.780 align:middle line:84% from Earth in the constellation Hydra, 00:00:27.780 --> 00:00:32.009 align:middle line:84% about 130 times farther away than Andromeda, our nearest 00:00:32.009 --> 00:00:33.300 align:middle line:90% galactic neighbor. 00:00:33.300 --> 00:00:36.900 align:middle line:84% While our Milky Way and Andromeda are separated by about 00:00:36.900 --> 00:00:40.890 align:middle line:84% 2.5 million light-years, the Penguin and the Egg are about 00:00:40.890 --> 00:00:42.940 align:middle line:90% 100,000 light-years apart -- 00:00:42.940 --> 00:00:45.810 align:middle line:84% relatively close in astronomical terms! 00:00:45.810 --> 00:00:48.960 align:middle line:84% The Penguin is somewhat larger across than the Milky Way, 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:51.580 align:middle line:84% and the Egg is much more compact. 00:00:51.580 --> 00:00:54.480 align:middle line:84% Over the next several hundreds of millions of years, 00:00:54.480 --> 00:00:57.480 align:middle line:84% these galaxies will merge into a single entity, 00:00:57.480 --> 00:01:01.820 align:middle line:84% creating a dramatic (yet very gradual) cosmic event. 00:01:01.820 --> 00:01:04.629 align:middle line:84% This image vividly highlights the interaction 00:01:04.629 --> 00:01:06.380 align:middle line:90% between the two galaxies. 00:01:06.380 --> 00:01:10.060 align:middle line:84% The Penguin galaxy, originally a spiral like our Milky Way, 00:01:10.060 --> 00:01:12.580 align:middle line:84% has become significantly more distorted 00:01:12.580 --> 00:01:15.010 align:middle line:84% than the egg, an elliptical galaxy, 00:01:15.010 --> 00:01:17.060 align:middle line:90% due to their cosmic encounter. 00:01:17.060 --> 00:01:20.170 align:middle line:84% Compared to previous images, like this one from the Hubble 00:01:20.170 --> 00:01:23.830 align:middle line:84% Space Telescope, this new view from the Webb Space Telescope 00:01:23.830 --> 00:01:25.970 align:middle line:90% offers a different perspective. 00:01:25.970 --> 00:01:29.480 align:middle line:84% In this image, we see a blue haze around the Penguin. 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:33.350 align:middle line:84% The haze is a result of the two galaxies mingling. 00:01:33.350 --> 00:01:36.910 align:middle line:84% The Penguin's "tail" brims with a stunning mix of distant 00:01:36.910 --> 00:01:41.560 align:middle line:84% background galaxies, gas, dust, and the glow of newly formed 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:42.440 align:middle line:90% stars. 00:01:42.440 --> 00:01:45.790 align:middle line:84% The "beak" is a region rich with gas and dust. 00:01:45.790 --> 00:01:49.100 align:middle line:84% As a spiral elliptical-galaxy interaction. 00:01:49.100 --> 00:01:54.380 align:middle line:84% NGC 2936 stands out because of its active star-forming regions. 00:01:54.380 --> 00:01:58.130 align:middle line:84% The "beak" of the Penguin is the brightest starburst area. 00:01:58.130 --> 00:02:00.580 align:middle line:84% This image highlights the important role 00:02:00.580 --> 00:02:04.650 align:middle line:84% that mergers play in how galaxies evolve over time. 00:02:04.650 --> 00:02:07.060 align:middle line:84% Before their interaction, the Penguin galaxy 00:02:07.060 --> 00:02:08.720 align:middle line:90% had a spiral shape. 00:02:08.720 --> 00:02:12.250 align:middle line:84% In this image, we can still see that original shape in the "eye" 00:02:12.250 --> 00:02:15.970 align:middle line:84% of the Penguin, which was the bulge or center of the spiral 00:02:15.970 --> 00:02:16.880 align:middle line:90% galaxy. 00:02:16.880 --> 00:02:20.690 align:middle line:84% The Egg is an elliptical galaxy filled with aging stars. 00:02:20.690 --> 00:02:23.560 align:middle line:84% This galaxy remains less distorted than the Penguin 00:02:23.560 --> 00:02:25.360 align:middle line:84% because of its compact structure, 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:27.950 align:middle line:84% and lower amounts of gas and dust. 00:02:27.950 --> 00:02:31.420 align:middle line:84% Although this image focuses on two distinct galaxies, 00:02:31.420 --> 00:02:34.360 align:middle line:84% a third galaxy attempts to steal the show. 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:37.210 align:middle line:84% In the top right, we can see the spiral galaxy 00:02:37.210 --> 00:02:41.960 align:middle line:90% cataloged as PGC 1237172. 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:46.240 align:middle line:84% This galaxy was barely visible in the mid-infrared image alone, 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:49.280 align:middle line:84% but stands out clearly in the composite image. 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:51.670 align:middle line:84% Although the galaxy appears prominently here, 00:02:51.670 --> 00:02:54.080 align:middle line:90% it's not part of Arp 142. 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:57.560 align:middle line:84% This foreground galaxy is much closer to us. 00:02:57.560 --> 00:02:59.740 align:middle line:84% The largest stars near the galaxy 00:02:59.740 --> 00:03:01.850 align:middle line:84% are also closer than they appear. 00:03:01.850 --> 00:03:04.300 align:middle line:84% These stars are local interlopers -- 00:03:04.300 --> 00:03:07.810 align:middle line:84% stars from our own galaxy that just happened to be in the same 00:03:07.810 --> 00:03:08.810 align:middle line:90% line of sight. 00:03:08.810 --> 00:03:11.950 align:middle line:84% These interloping stars are only thousands of light-years 00:03:11.950 --> 00:03:16.610 align:middle line:84% away, while the galaxy is about 230 million light-years distant. 00:03:16.610 --> 00:03:19.510 align:middle line:84% These objects offer a fascinating perspective 00:03:19.510 --> 00:03:21.620 align:middle line:90% on the vastness of space. 00:03:21.620 --> 00:03:24.280 align:middle line:84% Another noticeable feature is the color differences 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:27.590 align:middle line:84% between the near-infrared and mid-infrared views. 00:03:27.590 --> 00:03:29.530 align:middle line:84% The different colors are due to how 00:03:29.530 --> 00:03:31.930 align:middle line:84% different combinations of distance and dust 00:03:31.930 --> 00:03:34.490 align:middle line:84% show up in different wavelengths of light. 00:03:34.490 --> 00:03:37.450 align:middle line:84% Notice that if a dot has diffraction spikes, 00:03:37.450 --> 00:03:40.970 align:middle line:84% we can identify it as a star rather than a galaxy. 00:03:40.970 --> 00:03:44.240 align:middle line:84% There are more wonders present than we can see. 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:46.450 align:middle line:84% Many regions in this image likely 00:03:46.450 --> 00:03:49.480 align:middle line:84% contain newly forming stars and exoplanets, 00:03:49.480 --> 00:03:52.430 align:middle line:84% though they are too far away to see directly. 00:03:52.430 --> 00:03:55.030 align:middle line:84% This phenomenon, common in all galaxies, 00:03:55.030 --> 00:03:57.670 align:middle line:84% is especially fascinating here because the merger 00:03:57.670 --> 00:04:01.670 align:middle line:84% has created new areas for star and planet formation. 00:04:01.670 --> 00:04:03.910 align:middle line:84% As Webb continues its observations, 00:04:03.910 --> 00:04:06.610 align:middle line:84% we can expect more groundbreaking discoveries 00:04:06.610 --> 00:04:09.910 align:middle line:84% and a deeper understanding of our universe. 00:04:09.910 --> 00:04:13.560 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:20.000 align:middle line:90%