We asked earlier this month if there was anything better than a pair of galaxies observed by a pair of telescopes. A pair of galaxies that are colliding is even better than a pair of galaxies.
IC 1623 is a pair of intertwined galaxies that are 270 million light years away from Earth. According to scientists, the collision has created a frenzy of star formation that is 20 times larger than our own.
It might be difficult to tell which telescope took which picture at first glance.
We have come to know and expect the spikes from the new telescope. The bright starlight interacts with the physical structure of the telescope to create the 6 pronged spikes. There are spikes on top of the galaxy created by the bright core of the merger and the ability of Webb to pierce through the shroud.
On the other hand, Hubble shows the bright pink colors of the active regions where stars are forming. Combining data from Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Wide Field Camera 3 shows the view of individual galaxies in visible light. The spiral arms of the two galaxies are pale blue.
IC 1623 is very bright when seen in the IR. It is a good target for proving the ability to study the stars and planets. The European Space Agency said that IC 1623 was captured with the help of three cutting-edge scientific instruments. The data gathered by the three instruments will allow the community to fully explore how Webb's capabilities will help to shed more light on the complex interactions in the universe.
Astronomers have been interested in the merger of these two galaxies due to the intense emissions of the IR. The merging galaxies could be creating a black hole.
According to previous observations of IC 1623, a violent central inflow of gas could lead to even more intense starburst activity that could boost the IR luminosity above the threshold. The system will probably evolve into a compact system similar to the famous merger of Arp 220.
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