The ERS program is a treasure trove of scientific finds and breakthrough discoveries.

The study ofResolved Stellar Populations (RSTs), which was the subject of ERS 1334, is one of the areas of research it is enabling.

Large groups of stars close enough that individual stars can be seen, but far enough apart that telescopes can catch many of them at once. The Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte dwarf galaxy is located next to the Milky Way.

One of the lead scientists of the program is an astronomer at Rutgers University. She talked to a NASA senior communications specialist about how the JWST has enabled new studies.

In the past, this galaxy hasn't interacted with other galaxies.

It's a great place for astronomy to test theories of galaxy formation and evolution. The highlights of that interview are here.

Regarding WLM

The WLM is close to the Earth in terms of light-years. Astronomers have concluded that it hasn't interacted with other systems in the past.

Astronomers have noticed that dwarf galaxies are in the process of merging and that they are usually entangled with the Milky Way.

Their population of stars and gas clouds can't be compared to our own.

It is important to note that WLM is low in terms of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, which were very common in the early Universe. The elements were dispersed when the stars exploded in supernovae.

The force of the explosions has pushed the elements out over the years. The process ofgalactic winds has been observed with low-mass galaxies.

JWST Images

The new images give a clear view of WLM. The dwarf galaxy was imaged by the IaC on theSST.

The side-by-side comparison shows the limited resolution provided by these.

A side-by-side comparison of photos of the dwarf galaxy Wolf–Lundmark–Melotte.
A portion of the dwarf galaxy Wolf–Lundmark–Melotte (WLM) captured by the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Array Camera (left) and the James Webb Space Telescope's Near-Infrared Camera (right). (NASA, ESA, CSA, IPAC, Kristen McQuinn (RU)/Zolt G. Levay (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI))

A deeper view of stars and features is provided by the advanced suite of instruments. McQuinn described it that way.

There are a variety of individual stars of different colors, sizes, temperatures, ages, and stages of evolution, as well as interesting clouds of nebular gas within the galaxy. It's a beautiful picture.

The ERS Program

The main goal of ERS 1334 is to learn more about the history of star formation in the universe.

They are using the Near-Infrared Camera ( ) and Near-Infrared Slitless Spectrograph ( ) to image three stellar systems within a Megaparsec.

The star-forming WLM dwarf galaxy and the ultra-FAint dwarf galaxy are also included.

Since the population of low-mass stars in WLM is so long-lived, some of them may have formed during the early Universe.

We can gain insight into what happened in the distant past by determining the properties of low-mass stars.

When we look at high-redshift systems, we see the galaxies as they were when they first formed.

The goal is to calibrate the JWST to make sure it can measure the brightness of stars with extreme accuracy.

The public will be able to use non-proprietary software to measure the brightness of stars that have been imaged with the NIRCAM.

The results of the project will be made public before the call for proposals.

The James Webb Space Telescope has been in space for less than a year and has already proved to be useful. The views of the universe it has provided include deep field images, extremely precise observations of the stars and planets, and detailed spectrum from extrasolar planets.

The scientific breakthrough it has already allowed for have been very innovative. Some truly paradigm- shifting breakthrough are anticipated before the mission is over.

This article was published in the past. The original article is worth a read.