English: New images of the Phantom Galaxy, M74, showcase the power of space observatories working together in multiple wavelengths. On the left, the Hubble Space Telescope’s view of the galaxy ranges from the older, redder stars towards the centre, to younger and bluer stars in its spiral arms, to the most active stellar formation in the red bubbles of H II regions.

On the right, the James Webb Space Telescope’s image is strikingly different, instead highlighting the masses of gas and dust within the galaxy’s arms, and the dense cluster of stars at its core. The combined image in the centre merges these two for a truly unique look at this “grand design” spiral galaxy. Scientists combine data from telescopes operating across the electromagnetic spectrum to truly understand astronomical objects. In this way, data from Hubble and Webb compliment each other to provide a comprehensive view of the spectacular M74 galaxy.

Read more: esawebb.org/images/potm2208c/

Image credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-JWST Team. Acknowledgement: J. Schmidt

Image description: This image is divided evenly into 3 different views of the same region in the Phantom Galaxy. At left is an optical view taken by Hubble. Arms carved of brown filaments spiral out from a bright galactic core. The arms have pops of pink, which are star-forming regions, and there are blue stars throughout. The middle view contained combined Webb and Hubble data. Lacy red filaments spiraling out of the center of the galaxy are overlaid over a black field speckled with tiny blue stars. The red filaments contain pops of bright pink, which are star-forming regions. Lighter oranges in the red dust mean that dust is hotter. Heavier older stars closer to the center of the galaxy are cyan and green, and contribute to a greenish glow at the core. At right is a mid-infrared image from Webb. Delicate gray filaments spiral outwards from the center. These arms are traced by blue and bursts of pink, which are star-forming regions. A cluster of young stars glow blue at the very heart of the galaxy.