Millions of Stars in Cigar Galaxy

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has turned its infrared eyes on Messier 82—better known as the Cigar Galaxy for its distinctive elongated shape. By combining new observations from Webb with archival images from the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers now have a more complete picture of this starburst galaxy, a place where stars are forming at a rapid pace. Because Webb can detect infrared light, it can pierce through the dust clouds that normally obscure the view, revealing the intense stellar activity happening inside. According to NASA News, this combined perspective offers fresh insight into one of the universe's most dynamic stellar factories.

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