Galaxy NGC 6822 (NIRCam image) - Section

Situated approximately 1.5 million light-years away, NGC 6822 is the Milky Way’s closest galactic neighbor that is not one of its satellites. Webb’s near-infrared NIRCam image captures the galaxy’s countless stars in stunning detail. The dust and gas that pervade the galaxy appear as translucent red wisps, exposing the stars for astronomical study. Webb’s ultra-cold infrared instruments and the remarkable resolution of its primary mirror are essential for examining stars obscured by dust. The brightest stars appear in pale blue and cyan, colors which are assigned to the shortest wavelengths of light that NIRCam can detect: red and near infrared. The amount of light emitted by any star decreases at longer and longer wavelengths, towards the mid-infrared, so the stars that are more faint to NIRCam also appear more warmly colored here. A bright blue orb to the lower left of the gas is particularly prominent: this is a globular cluster, packed with stars. An alternate, full-width, version is also available.