Galaxy cluster MACS1416 (Hubble and Webb images)

This side-by-side comparison of galaxy cluster MACS0416 as seen by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in optical light (left) and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope in infrared light (right) reveals different details. Both images feature hundreds of galaxies, however the Webb image shows galaxies that are invisible or only barely visible in the Hubble image. This is because Webb’s infrared vision can detect galaxies too distant or dusty for Hubble to see. Light from distant galaxies is redshifted due to the expansion of the Universe.

[Image description: Two side-by-side photos of the same region of space. The left image is labelled “HST” and the right image “JWST.” In the middle of both, stretching from left to right, is a collection of dozens of yellowish spiral and elliptical galaxies that form a foreground galaxy cluster. A variety of galaxies of various shapes are scattered across the image, making it feel densely populated. The JWST image contains a number of red galaxies that are invisible or only barely visible in the HST image.]

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