--- title: "Incredible New James Webb Image Shows “Cartwheel Galaxy” In Glorious Detail" description: "Star Gymnastics The James Webb Space Telescope just dropped an amazing new image of the black hole-centered \"Cartwheel Galaxy\" in greater detail than ever seen before. In a statement, NASA describes how the telescope \"peered into the chaos of the Cartwheel Galaxy\" which has an active black hole at its center and looks very much […]" date: "2022-08-02" modified: "2022-08-02" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/james-webb-cartwheel-galaxy-image" categories: - "James Webb Space Telescope" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "black hole" - "cartwheel galaxy" - "JWST" - "the digest" --- # Incredible New James Webb Image Shows “Cartwheel Galaxy” In Glorious Detail ![The James Webb Space Telescope just dropped an amazing new image of the black hole-centered "Cartwheel Galaxy" in greater detail than ever seen before. ]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Star Gymnastics NASA's revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope just dropped an amazing new image of the "Cartwheel Galaxy" in greater detail than ever seen before. In [a statement](), NASA described how the telescope "peered into the chaos of the Cartwheel Galaxy," which has an active black hole at its center — and happens to closely resemble a wagon wheel as well. As the European Space Agency [notes in its post]() about the same image, this gorgeous capture is not only a feast for the eyes, but it will also help astronomers better understand how stars are formed. https://twitter.com/ESA\_Webb/status/1554468502907633666 ## Wheelies Located 500 million light-years away in the Sculptor constellation, the Cartwheel Galaxy was formed as "the result of an intense event — a high-speed collision between a large spiral galaxy and a smaller galaxy," according to NASA, the latter of which was not captured in the image. As NASA notes, the galaxy, which was "presumably a normal galaxy like the Milky Way before its collision," is very much in flux and will continue to transform. In a [Twitter post]() announcing the incredible find, NASA's Webb Telescope account joked that it was "time to reinvent the wheel" — a pithy quip that could very much be applied to the telescope itself, as it continues to revolutionize not only our understanding of star formation, but also of the universe at large. **READ MORE:** [Webb Captures Stellar Gymnastics in The Cartwheel Galaxy]() \[NASA\] **More on the JWST:** [*Glitch Made NASA Scientists Think The James Webb Might Be Dead*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()