---
title: UMD-Led Astronomy Team Shows Off Stunning Capabilities of NASA’s Most Powerful Space Telescope
date: 2024-04-04T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/umd-led-astronomy-team-shows-off-stunning-capabilities-of-nasas-most-powerful-space-telescope"
section: Articles
---
# UMD-Led Astronomy Team Shows Off Stunning Capabilities of NASA’s Most Powerful Space Telescope

*April 4, 2024* — by [Emily C. Nunez](/author/emily-c-nunez)


> Researchers Probed ‘Starburst Galaxy’ to Understand Conditions That Foster Stellar Birth

*53628408242 abfd807ae3 o 1920x1080 — The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's most capable space telescope, captured images of the starburst M82 galaxy in greater resolution than ever before, peering through layers of dust with its infrared camera. Below, an older Hubble Space Telescope image shows less detail the JWST photo.*

A University of Maryland-led team of astronomers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to survey Messier 82 (M82), a [starburst galaxy](https://webbtelescope.org/glossary.html#h3-CK-cd2af8d0-660c-4c77-9f40-9ae9d9830b79) that has long captivated scientists with its frenzy of star formation activity. Located 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, M82 sprouts new stars 10 times faster than the Milky Way galaxy.

The team directed [NIRCam](https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/observatory/instruments/nircam.html), Webb’s near-infrared camera instrument, toward the starburst galaxy’s center to get a closer look at the physical conditions that foster the formation of new stars—observations that can also yield a deeper understanding of the early universe.

“M82 has garnered a variety of observations over the years because it can be considered as the prototypical starburst galaxy,” said astronomy Professor Alberto Bolatto, lead author of the [study](https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.16648) accepted for publication in *The Astrophysical Journal*. “Both NASA’s [Spitzer](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/spitzer/) and [Hubble space telescopes](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/) have observed this target. With Webb’s size and resolution, we can look at this star-forming galaxy and see all of this beautiful, new detail.”

UMD astronomy Ph.D. student and study co-author Serena Cronin M.S. ’23 said she was amazed by these latest images of M82, which capture the galaxy’s core in glowing detail—down to the many speckles of space dust—and trace the shape of its galactic wind.

“There are so many bumps and wiggles that we couldn’t see before, even with Hubble, giving us a better view of the intricate structure of the galactic wind,” said Cronin. “Being one of the first people to lay eyes on these images reminded me of the sense of wonder and discovery that drew me toward this field in the first place.”



*same galaxy shot by Hubble and JWST*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Astronomy](https://today.umd.edu/topic/astronomy), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-computer-mathematical-and-natural-sciences)