The latest discovery by James Webb seems to confirm that we are not the only ones with many questions about the universe. In a recent image of the THAT (European Space Agency), a strange formation at the bottom has stolen all the attention that the immense galactic structure in the center should have had. The reason is clear, and it is that it is a perfect question mark that has left everyone with many doubts.
Initially, the image captured by the James Webb gives us a look at two young stars in the making. Both are located at a distance of 1,470 light years from Earth, within the limits of the Constellation Vela.
The stars, called Herbig-Haro 46 and 47, are surrounded by a disk of material that feeds them. This will be its main element of formation during the growth process, which will last for millions of years.
However, just below them is the object that has stolen everyone’s attention. The image of James Webb has also managed to capture a structure whose shape reminds us of a question mark, located in deep space. Also, the rather bright red color of it makes it stand out against the space black.
The spatial question mark captured by James Webb
But what exactly is this formation captured by the James Webb? Well, according to the scientific community, its shape and color could reveal some details about its nature.
As they commented to Space.com For representatives of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, this is a very distant formation. Besides, this could be the first time it has been sighted by astronomers. Quite a feat achieved thanks to the infrared cameras of the James Webb.
“It is probably a distant galaxy,” comments the STScI in its statement. “Potentially it could be galaxies interacting.” This interaction would have caused them to deform until obtaining a question mark appearance, resulting even more recognizable at such great distances.
Matt Caplan, assistant professor of physics at Illinois State University, said that could be the result of the merger between two galaxies. The larger, curved top “is being tidally disturbed.”
However, both Caplan and the STScI agree that there are hundreds of other possibilities. Of all the options, the only thing that is ruled out is that it is a star. The reason lies in the absence of refraction peaks produced by these objects in the James Webb mirrors, which are absent in this area of the image.