NGC 4449 (NIRCam image - cropped)

Featured in this new image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope is the dwarf galaxy NGC 4449. This galaxy, also known as Caldwell 21, resides roughly 12.5 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is part of the M94 galaxy group, which lies close to the Local Group that hosts our Milky Way.

NGC 4449 has been forming stars for several billion years, but it is currently experiencing a period of star formation at a much higher rate than in the past. Such unusually explosive and intense star formation activity is called a starburst and for that reason NGC 4449 is known as a starburst galaxy. In fact, at the current rate of star formation, the gas supply that feeds the production of stars would only last for another billion years or so. Starbursts usually occur in the central regions of galaxies, but NGC 4449 displays more widespread star formation activity, and the very youngest stars are observed both in the nucleus and in streams surrounding the galaxy. It's likely that the current widespread starburst was triggered by interaction or merging with a smaller companion; indeed, astronomers think NGC 4449's star formation has been influenced by interactions with several of its neighbours.

The image was captured by Webb’s NIRCam, or Near-InfraRed Camera. In this image, the bright red spots correspond to regions rich in hydrogen that have been ionised by the radiation from the newly formed stars. The diffuse gradient of blue light around the central region shows the distribution of older stars. The compact light-blue regions within the red ionised gas, mostly concentrated in the galaxy’s outer region, show the distribution of young star clusters.

[Image Description: A close view of the central area of a dwarf galaxy. It is illuminated by a strong, cool light radiating from its core, and filled with a huge number of visible stars that appear as tiny glowing points. Faint wisps and clouds of dust surround the galaxy’s core. Some are lit up by star-forming regions inside them. Many small, distant galaxies can be seen through and around the dwarf galaxy.]