[Reading Science] A Photo NASA Gave to Macron

First Viewing Opportunity of Merging Galaxy II ZW 96 Photo Taken by JWST
Interpreted as a Sign to Strengthen Existing Cooperation Including JWST Development
"This Is the Level Space Diplomacy Should Reach"

Galaxy II ZW 96 undergoing merger captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Photo by NASA.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States has attracted attention by holding a special 'diplomatic' event targeting French President Emmanuel Macron, who is visiting the U.S., utilizing the achievements of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

On the 30th of last month, NASA revealed for the first time a celestial photograph taken by JWST to President Macron of France and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during their visit to NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The image shows two massive galaxies colliding, their original shapes distorted and breaking apart as they merge together. Due to the light emitted by the merging stars, the brightness in the infrared spectrum is about 100 billion times greater than that of the Sun. It is officially named 'II ZW 96.' It is located in the constellation Delphinus, approximately 500 million light-years from Earth.

This was one of the early observational results from JWST's initial operations. An international team of astronomers proposed a study of the complex galactic ecosystem including 'II ZW 96' during the equipment calibration process of JWST, which led to the photograph being taken. JWST used its Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to capture this merging galaxy. Of course, II ZW 96 had previously been photographed by ground-based telescopes and the Hubble Space Telescope. However, while Hubble’s images taken in the visible light spectrum were somewhat vague, JWST’s infrared images are astonishingly vivid, capturing detailed views inside the colliding galaxies. NASA explained, "This provided astronomers with an opportunity to examine JWST’s capability to explore complex galactic ecosystems."

Photos of the merging galaxies II ZW 96 taken by the Hubble Space Telescope (left) and the James Webb Space Telescope. Source=European Space Agency (ESA)

NASA’s first public reveal of this photograph to President Macron during his U.S. visit is interpreted as a high-level diplomatic event aimed at strengthening the close diplomatic relationship between the two countries, including cooperation during the development of JWST. In fact, the JWST, which involved a total investment exceeding 10 billion dollars, was a collaborative project led by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) led by France, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). In particular, the Mid-Infrared Instrument, one of the devices used to capture II ZW 96, was jointly designed and manufactured by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Arizona in collaboration with a consortium of European research institutes (The MIRI European Consortium).