Interacting Galaxies Arp 142 (Hubble and Webb Image)

Two penguins, two eggs — two very different color schemes!

The Hubble Space Telescope captured visible light when observing Arp 142, nicknamed the Penguin and the Egg, in 2013.

At right is the James Webb Space Telescope’s near-infrared light view of the same region.

Both images are made up of several filters. The process of applying color to Webb’s images is remarkably similar to the approach used for Hubble: The shortest wavelengths are assigned blue and the longest wavelengths are assigned red. For Webb, image processors translate near-infrared light images, in order, to visible colors. Both telescopes take high-resolution images, so there are many features to explore.

In Hubble’s visible light image, a dark brown dust lane begins across the Penguin’s “beak” and extends through its body and along its back. In Webb’s near-infrared view, this dust lane is significantly fainter.

Linger on Webb’s image. A faint upside-down U shape joins the pair of galaxies. This is a combination of stars, gas, and dust that continues to mix as the galaxies mingle. In Hubble’s view, notice there is a clearer gap between the Penguin’s “beak” and the top of the Egg. Toward the bottom of the Penguin’s tail are several prominent spiral galaxies, though there are a few more in Webb’s image.

The Egg itself looks similar in both images, but in Webb’s view, the galaxy shines so brightly that it causes diffraction spikes to slightly extend its gleam. The galaxy at top right appears about the same size, but many more pinpricks of stars appear in Webb’s view.

Now, compare the backgrounds. Hubble shows many distant galaxies in visible light, though areas in the corners that are completely black were outside the telescope’s field of view. Many more distant galaxies gleam in Webb’s infrared image. This is a testament to the sensitivity and resolution of Webb’s near-infrared camera, and the advantages of infrared light. Light from distant galaxies is stretched as it travels across the universe, so a significant portion of their light can only be detected in longer wavelengths. Learn more about the benefits of observing infrared light.

Explore Webb’s near- and mid-infrared light image and its mid-infrared light-only image.