Quick facts
What is it: Spiral galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163
Where is he: 120 million light-years away, in the constellation Canis Major
When shared: December 1, 2025
One of the core missions of JWST, according to NASAis to provide scientists with a clear view of the merging centers of galaxies and thus inform a new generation of models that will describe how galaxies interact and merge. NGC 2207 and IC 2163 are ideal targets.
In the image, JWST’s mid-infrared data appears in white, gray and red, showing primarily dust and cool material within galaxy centers and spiral arms. Chandra’s X-ray data appears in blue, highlighting high-energy regions in the two galaxies – binary stars, the remnants of dead stars, and regions where supernovas occurred.
The stunning layered image of NGC 2207 and IC 2163 is one of four Chandra-based composite images released at the same time. The other three They include NGC 6334, a star-forming region known for its arcs of glowing gas and dust; Supernova remnant G272.2-0.3, where hot gas emanating from X-rays fills the expanding crust; And a star system called R Aquarii, in which a white dwarf star absorbs material from a red giant star.
Each image combines Chandra’s view of the high-energy universe with data from the James Webb Space Telescope (launching in 2021). Hubble Space Telescope (launched in 1990) and the Spitzer Space Telescope (active between 2003 and 2020), as well as ground-based telescopes.
For more amazing space photos, check out our website Archive of satellite images of the week.