- This observation identifies the regions of star formation in galaxies, in addition, it accurately measures the masses and ages of star clusters.

The 'Ghost Galaxy' across the spectrum. / ESA

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Image of 'Ghost Galaxy' M74

The European Space Agency has recently shared new images of the Phantom Galaxy 'M74' captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.

The Ghost Galaxy is 32 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of Pisces and is also a favorite target for astronomers to study the origin and structure of galactic spirals.

M74 is a particular class of spiral galaxy known as a 'grand design spiral', which means that its arms are prominent and well defined.

James Webb has revealed filaments of gas and dust in M74's grand spiral arms, and the lack of gas in the nuclear region provides a clear view of the nuclear star cluster at the galaxy's center.

The European Space Agency notes that "Webb observed M74 with its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to learn more about the early stages of star formation in the local Universe."

This observation makes it possible to identify star-forming regions in galaxies, accurately measure the masses and ages of star clusters, and finally obtain information about dust grains moving in interstellar space.

Views of multiple observatories from M74. / ESA