Webb Space Telescope reveals pair of glowing intertwined galaxies

The distorted spiral galaxy at center, the Penguin, and the compact elliptical at left, the Egg, are locked in an active embrace. This near- and mid-infrared image combines data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) a

NASA’s Webb Space Telescope captured two glowing intertwined galaxies.

These galaxies were photographed 326 million light years away, surrounded by a blue haze of stars and gas. 

The stunning photos were released Friday to commemorate the second science anniversary of NASA’s James Webb Telescope. 

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NASA noted that the two galaxies, nicknamed Penguin and the Egg, were entangled for millions of years and will ultimately combine into one galaxy.

According to the Associated Press, Webb is the largest astronomical observatory launched, positioned 1 million miles from Earth. Webb rocketed away in 2021 and endured six months of commissioning before the first official images debuted in 2022.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.  This story was reported from Washington, D.C.