{"id":343909,"date":"2026-01-07T03:14:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/missions\/webb\/nasa-webb-finds-early-universe-analogs-unexpected-talent-for-making-dust\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T03:14:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:14:00","slug":"nasa-webb-finds-early-universe-analogs-unexpected-talent-for-making-dust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=343909","title":{"rendered":"NASA Webb Finds Early-Universe Analog\u2019s Unexpected Talent for Making Dust"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\" hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-secondary-navigation\">\n<div class=\"hds-secondary-navigation-wrapper z-top width-100 padding-0\">\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-secondary-navigation width-full border-bottom-1px text-center hds-color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-hdsnav\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"hds-secondary-nav-mobile-button 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class=\"hds-foreground-wrapper display-flex flex-direction-column\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block margin-top-auto width-full maxw-desktop-lg padding-y-9 padding-x-3 desktop:padding-x-3 z-400\">\n<div class=\"z-400 grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-7 z-400\">\n<div class=\"margin-0\">\n<div class=\"label color-spacesuit-white margin-bottom-2\">6 Min Read<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"heading-41 line-height-md color-spacesuit-white-important\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA Webb Finds Early-Universe Analog\u2019s Unexpected Talent for Making Dust\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-left mobile-skrim-top z-200\"><\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"4960\" height=\"4216\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=4960&#038;h=4216&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"A region of space is filled with stars and clumps of glowing orange and tan dust. A small  portion of the sky at the center of the image is outlined with a white box. Lines extend from the corner of the box to the inset panel at the top right showing a magnified version of the outlined portion of the image. In the inset, there are smatterings of dim whitish-blueish stars and about seven glowing red orbs across the center in a line. Also across the center of the inset is a green glow. The background of the image is filled with stars and galaxies of various shapes and colors.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 100% 0%; object-position: 100% 0%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=4960&#038;h=4216&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 4960w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=300&#038;h=255&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=768&#038;h=653&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=1024&#038;h=870&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=1536&#038;h=1306&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=2048&#038;h=1741&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=400&#038;h=340&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=600&#038;h=510&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=900&#038;h=765&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=1200&#038;h=1020&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=2000&#038;h=1700&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4960px) 100vw, 4960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-y-3 padding-x-3\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block padding-x-0\"><figcaption class=\"hds-caption maxw-mobile desktop:padding-x-3\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0 color-carbon-30\">\n<div><figcaption>Images from NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope of the dwarf galaxy Sextans A reveal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), large carbon-based molecules that can be a signifier of star formation. The inset at the top right zooms in on those PAHs, which are represented in green.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits color-spacesuit-white-important\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Credits: <\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, Elizabeth Tarantino (STScI), Martha Boyer (STScI), Julia Roman-Duval (STScI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Using NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have spotted two rare kinds of dust in the dwarf galaxy Sextans A, one of the most chemically primitive galaxies near the Milky Way. The finding of metallic iron dust and silicon carbide (SiC) produced by aging stars, along with tiny clumps of carbon-based molecules, shows that even when the universe had only a fraction of today\u2019s heavy elements, stars and the interstellar medium could still forge solid dust grains. This research with Webb is reshaping ideas about how early galaxies evolved and developed the building blocks for planets, as NASA explores the secrets of the universe and our place in it.<\/p>\n<p>Sextans A lies about 4 million light-years away and contains only 3 to 7 percent of the Sun\u2019s metal content, or metallicity, the astrophysical term for elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. Because the galaxy is so small, unlike other nearby galaxies, its gravitational pull is too weak to retain the heavy elements like iron and oxygen created by supernovae and aging stars.<\/p>\n<p>Galaxies like it resemble those that filled the early universe just after the big bang, when the universe was made of mostly hydrogen and helium, before stars had time to enrich space with \u2018metals.\u2019 Because it is relatively close, Sextans A gives astronomers a rare chance to study individual stars and interstellar clouds under conditions similar to those shortly after the big bang.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSextans A is giving us a blueprint for the first dusty galaxies,\u201d said Elizabeth Tarantino, postdoctoral researcher at the Space Telescope Science Institute and lead author of the results in one of the two studies presented at a press conference at the 247th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Phoenix. \u201cThese results help us interpret the most distant galaxies imaged by Webb and understand what the universe was building with its earliest ingredients.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Image A: Sextans A PAHs Pull-out (NIRCam and MIRI Image)<\/h2>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-wide\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=4960&#038;h=4216&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"4960\" height=\"4216\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=4960&#038;h=4216&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A region of space is filled with stars and clumps of glowing orange and tan dust. A small  portion of the sky at the center of the image is outlined with a white box. Lines extend from the corner of the box to the inset panel at the top right showing a magnified version of the outlined portion of the image. In the inset, there are smatterings of dim whitish-blueish stars and about seven glowing red orbs across the center in a line. Also across the center of the inset is a green glow. The background of the image is filled with stars and galaxies of various shapes and colors.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=4960&#038;h=4216&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 4960w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=300&#038;h=255&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=768&#038;h=653&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=1024&#038;h=870&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=1536&#038;h=1306&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=2048&#038;h=1741&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=400&#038;h=340&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=600&#038;h=510&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=900&#038;h=765&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=1200&#038;h=1020&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=2000&#038;h=1700&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4960px) 100vw, 4960px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Images from NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope of the dwarf galaxy Sextans A reveal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), large carbon-based molecules that can be a signifier of star formation. The inset at the top right zooms in on those PAHs, which are represented in green.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, Elizabeth Tarantino (STScI), Martha Boyer (STScI), Julia Roman-Duval (STScI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Forging dust without usual ingredients<\/h2>\n<p>One of those studies, <a href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.3847\/1538-4357\/adf06a\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">published in the Astrophysical Journal<\/a>, honed in on a half a dozen stars with the low-resolution spectrometer aboard Webb\u2019s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). The data collected shows the chemical fingerprints of the bloated stars very late in their evolution, called asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Stars with masses between one and eight times that of the Sun pass through this phase.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of these stars is on the high-mass end of the AGB range, and stars like this usually produce silicate dust. However, at such low metallicity, we expect these stars to be nearly dust-free,\u201d said Martha Boyer, associate astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute and lead author in that second companion study. \u201cInstead, Webb revealed a star forging dust grains made almost entirely of iron. This is something we\u2019ve never seen in stars that are analogs of stars in the early universe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silicates, the usual dust formed by oxygen-rich stars, require elements like silicon and magnesium that are almost nonexistent in Sextans A. It would be like trying to bake cookies in a kitchen without flour, sugar, and butter.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A normal cosmic kitchen, like the Milky Way, has those crucial ingredients in the form of silicon, carbon, and iron. In a primitive kitchen, like Sextans A, where almost all of those ingredients are missing, you barely have any proverbial flour or sugar. Therefore, astronomers expected that without those key ingredients, stars in Sextans A couldn\u2019t \u201cbake\u201d much dust at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, not only did they find dust, but Webb showed that one of these stars used an entirely different recipe than usual to make that dust.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The iron-only dust, as well as silicon carbide produced by the less massive AGB stars despite the galaxy\u2019s low silicon abundance, proves that evolved stars can still build solid material even when the typical ingredients are missing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDust in the early universe may have looked very different from the silicate grains we see today,\u201d Boyer said. \u201cThese iron grains absorb light efficiently but leave no sharp spectral fingerprints and can contribute to the large dust reservoirs seen in far-away galaxies detected by Webb.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Image B: Sextans A Context Image (Webb and KPNO)<\/h2>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-wide\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=3299&#038;h=1374&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"3299\" height=\"1374\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=3299&#038;h=1374&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Two panels showing different views of a small galaxy. The left panel, labeled Webb, shows a region of space filled with stars and small clumps of glowing orange and tan dust. The right panel is labeled KPNO. This image shows stars on the black background of space, with a higher concentration of them in a globe at the center. On the edges of this circular globe, there are puffs of pink gas. A small portion of the of the galaxy in the right panel is outlined with a white box, and the image from the left panel appears in that box at a 45-degree angle. Lines extend from the corner of the box to the panel at the left.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=3299&#038;h=1374&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 3299w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=300&#038;h=125&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=768&#038;h=320&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=1024&#038;h=426&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=1536&#038;h=640&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=2048&#038;h=853&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=400&#038;h=167&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=600&#038;h=250&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=900&#038;h=375&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=1200&#038;h=500&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=2000&#038;h=833&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3299px) 100vw, 3299px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s image of a portion of the nearby Sextans A galaxy is put into context using a ground-based image from the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">Image: STScI, NASA, ESA, CSA, KPNO, NSF\u2019s NOIRLab, AURA, Elizabeth Tarantino (STScI), Phil Massey (Lowell Obs.), George Jacoby (NSF, AURA), Chris Smith (NSF, AURA); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Travis Rector (UAA), Mahdi Zamani (NSF\u2019s NOIRLab), Davide De Martin (NSF\u2019s NOIRLab)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tiny clumps of organic molecules<\/h2>\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2512.04060\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">companion study<\/a>, currently under peer review, Webb imaged Sextans A\u2019s interstellar medium and discovered polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are complex, carbon-based molecules and the smallest dust grains that glow in infrared light. The discovery means Sextans A is now the lowest-metallicity galaxy ever found to contain PAHs.<\/p>\n<p>But, unlike the <a href=\"https:\/\/esawebb.org\/images\/potm2405a\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">broad, sweeping PAH emission<\/a> seen in metal-rich galaxies, Webb revealed PAHs in tiny, dense pockets only a few light-years across.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWebb shows that PAHs can form and survive even in the most metal-starved galaxies, but only in small, protected islands of dense gas,\u201d said Tarantino.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The clumps likely represent regions where dust shielding and gas density reach just high enough to allow PAHs to form and grow, solving a decades-long mystery about why PAHs seem to vanish in metal-poor galaxies.<\/p>\n<p>The team has an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stsci.edu\/jwst\/science-execution\/program-information?id=7396\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">approved Webb Cycle 4 program<\/a> to use high-resolution spectroscopy to study the detailed chemistry of Sextans A\u2019s PAH clumps further.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Image C: Giant Star in Dwarf Galaxy Sextans A (Spectrum)<\/h2>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-wide\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2160\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Graphic titled \u201cGiant Star in Dwarf Galaxy Sextans A: Iron-Rich Dust at Low Metallicities\u201d showing a graph of brightness versus wavelength, with two sets of data and two model spectra. One set of data is represented in 12 orange triangle data points, and the other is a solid yellow line. A cyan solid line represents \u201cIron + 0.8% silicates\u201d and a red dashed line represents \u201cIron + 5% silicates.\u201d They appear on a graph of Brightness on the y-axis versus Wavelength of Light in microns on x-axis. The y-axis ranges from dimmer at bottom to brighter at top. The x-axis ranges from 0 to 12 microns.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 3840w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=300&#038;h=169&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=768&#038;h=432&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=1024&#038;h=576&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=1536&#038;h=864&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=2048&#038;h=1152&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=400&#038;h=225&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=600&#038;h=338&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=900&#038;h=506&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=675&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=2000&#038;h=1125&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">This graph shows a spectrum of an Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) star in the Sextans A galaxy. It compares data collected by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope with models of mostly silicate-free dust and dust containing at least 5% silicates.\u00a0<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Connecting two discoveries<\/h2>\n<p>Together, the results show that the early universe had more diverse dust production pathways than the more established and proven methods, like supernova explosions. Additionally, researchers now know there\u2019s more dust than predicted at extremely low metallicities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery discovery in Sextans A reminds us that the early universe was more inventive than we imagined,\u201d said Boyer. \u201cClearly stars found a way to make the building blocks of planets long before galaxies like our own existed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The James Webb Space Telescope is the world\u2019s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about Webb, visit:<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/webb\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/webb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Downloads &#038; Related Information<\/h2>\n<p>The following sections contain links to download this article\u2019s images and videos in all available resolutions followed by related information links, media contacts, and if available, research paper and spanish translation links.<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-featured-link-list bg-carbon-05 padding-x-2 tablet:padding-x-3 desktop:padding-x-4 padding-y-5 desktop:padding-y-6 hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-featured-link-list\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block padding-0\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-22\">\n\t\t\t\tRelated Images &#038; Videos\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row padding-y-2 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-30-important\">\n<div class=\"grid-row featured-link-list-row width-full flex-align-center\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-2 desktop:grid-col-1 tablet:padding-right-3 desktop:padding-right-5\">\n<div class=\"width-full\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper width-full ratio-1x1 radius-pill overflow-hidden\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"4960\" height=\"4216\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=4960&#038;h=4216&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"A region of space is filled with stars and clumps of glowing orange and tan dust. A small portion of the sky at the center of the image is outlined with a white box. Lines extend from the corner of the box to the inset panel at the top right showing a magnified version of the outlined portion of the image. In the inset, there are smatterings of dim whitish-blueish stars and about seven glowing red orbs across the center in a line. Also across the center of the inset is a green glow. The background of the image is filled with stars and galaxies of various shapes and colors.\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=4960&#038;h=4216&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 4960w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=300&#038;h=255&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=768&#038;h=653&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=1024&#038;h=870&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=1536&#038;h=1306&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=2048&#038;h=1741&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=400&#038;h=340&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=600&#038;h=510&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=900&#038;h=765&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=1200&#038;h=1020&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHHKKZEMCE72SX4SY4XKXNQ.png?w=2000&#038;h=1700&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4960px) 100vw, 4960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8 desktop:grid-col-10 padding-left-3 desktop:padding-left-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-36 margin-0\">Sextans A PAHs Pull-out (NIRCam and MIRI Image)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<p class=\"p-md margin-0 color-carbon-black-important\">Images from NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope of the dwarf galaxy Sextans A reveal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), large carbon-based molecules that can be a signifier of star formation. The inset at the top right zooms in on those PAHs, which are represented in green.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-2 desktop:grid-col-1 display-flex flex-justify-end\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/asset\/webb\/sextans-a-pahs-pull-out-nircam-and-miri-image\/\"  aria-label=\"Sextans A PAHs Pull-out (NIRCam and MIRI Image)\" class=\"link-external-false\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n                            <svg class=\"hds-featured-link-list-button margin-left-auto margin-right-0\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\">\n                                <circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path>\n                            <\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row padding-y-2 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-30-important\">\n<div class=\"grid-row featured-link-list-row width-full flex-align-center\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-2 desktop:grid-col-1 tablet:padding-right-3 desktop:padding-right-5\">\n<div class=\"width-full\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper width-full ratio-1x1 radius-pill overflow-hidden\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"3299\" height=\"1374\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=3299&#038;h=1374&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Two panels showing different views of a small galaxy. The left panel, labeled Webb, shows a region of space filled with stars and small clumps of glowing orange and tan dust. The right panel is labeled KPNO. This image shows stars on the black background of space, with a higher concentration of them in a globe at the center. On the edges of this circular globe, there are puffs of pink gas. A small portion of the of the galaxy in the right panel is outlined with a white box, and the image from the left panel appears in that box at a 45-degree angle. Lines extend from the corner of the box to the panel at the left.\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=3299&#038;h=1374&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 3299w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=300&#038;h=125&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=768&#038;h=320&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=1024&#038;h=426&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=1536&#038;h=640&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=2048&#038;h=853&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=400&#038;h=167&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=600&#038;h=250&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=900&#038;h=375&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=1200&#038;h=500&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHNKMS0W0PAJ0PTP8R99X4B.png?w=2000&#038;h=833&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3299px) 100vw, 3299px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8 desktop:grid-col-10 padding-left-3 desktop:padding-left-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-36 margin-0\">Sextans A Context Image (Webb and KPNO)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<p class=\"p-md margin-0 color-carbon-black-important\">NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s image of a portion of the nearby Sextans A galaxy is put into context using a ground-based image from the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-2 desktop:grid-col-1 display-flex flex-justify-end\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/asset\/webb\/sextans-a-context-image-webb-and-kpno\/\"  aria-label=\"Sextans A Context Image (Webb and KPNO)\" class=\"link-external-false\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n                            <svg class=\"hds-featured-link-list-button margin-left-auto margin-right-0\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\">\n                                <circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path>\n                            <\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row padding-y-2 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-30-important\">\n<div class=\"grid-row featured-link-list-row width-full flex-align-center\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-2 desktop:grid-col-1 tablet:padding-right-3 desktop:padding-right-5\">\n<div class=\"width-full\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper width-full ratio-1x1 radius-pill overflow-hidden\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"4954\" height=\"5282\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=4954&#038;h=5282&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Image titled u201cJames Webb Space Telescope; Sextans A, UGCA 205,u201d with compass arrows, scale bar, and color key. At the left, a region of space is filled with stars and clumps of glowing orange and tan dust. A small portion of the sky at the center of the image is outlined with a white box. In the inset, there are smatterings of dim whitish-blueish stars and about seven glowing red orbs across the center in a line. Also across center of the image is a green glow. At the bottom left are compass arrows indicating the orientation of the image on the sky. The east arrow points toward 2 ou2019clock. The north arrow points in the 10 ou2019clock direction. At the bottom left is a scale bar labeled 300 light-years, 15 arcsec. The length of the scale bar is about one tenth of the total image. Below the image is a color key showing which NIRCam and MIRI filters were used to create the image and which visible-light color is assigned to each filter.\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=4954&#038;h=5282&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 4954w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=281&#038;h=300&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 281w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=768&#038;h=819&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=960&#038;h=1024&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 960w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=1441&#038;h=1536&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1441w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=1921&#038;h=2048&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1921w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=375&#038;h=400&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 375w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=563&#038;h=600&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 563w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=844&#038;h=900&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 844w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=1125&#038;h=1199&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1125w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCHKQC7N5F20BW78K8VER4BN.png?w=1876&#038;h=2000&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1876w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4954px) 100vw, 4954px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8 desktop:grid-col-10 padding-left-3 desktop:padding-left-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-36 margin-0\">Sextans A PAHs Pull-out (Compass Image)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<p class=\"p-md margin-0 color-carbon-black-important\">This image of dwarf galaxy Sextans A, captured by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), shows compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-2 desktop:grid-col-1 display-flex flex-justify-end\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/asset\/webb\/sextans-a-pahs-pull-out-compass-image\/\"  aria-label=\"Sextans A PAHs Pull-out (Compass Image)\" class=\"link-external-false\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n                            <svg class=\"hds-featured-link-list-button margin-left-auto margin-right-0\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\">\n                                <circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path>\n                            <\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row padding-y-2 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-30-important\">\n<div class=\"grid-row featured-link-list-row width-full flex-align-center\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-2 desktop:grid-col-1 tablet:padding-right-3 desktop:padding-right-5\">\n<div class=\"width-full\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper width-full ratio-1x1 radius-pill overflow-hidden\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2160\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;%23038;fit=clip&#038;%23038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Graphic titled u201cGiant Star in Dwarf Galaxy Sextans A: Iron-Rich Dust at Low Metallicitiesu201d showing a graph of brightness versus wavelength, with two sets of data and two model spectra. One set of data is represented in 12 orange triangle data points, and the other is a solid yellow line. A cyan solid line represents u201cIron + 0.8% silicatesu201d and a red dashed line represents u201cIron + 5% silicates.u201d They appear on a graph of Brightness on the y-axis versus Wavelength of Light in microns on x-axis. The y-axis ranges from dimmer at bottom to brighter at top. The x-axis ranges from 0 to 12 microns.\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=3840&#038;h=2160&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 3840w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=300&#038;h=169&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=768&#038;h=432&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=1024&#038;h=576&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=1536&#038;h=864&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=2048&#038;h=1152&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2048w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=400&#038;h=225&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=600&#038;h=338&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=900&#038;h=506&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=675&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w, https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/missions\/webb\/science\/2026\/01\/STScI-01KCKWJ25H8S76JAPDHDPM3NWR.jpg?w=2000&#038;h=1125&#038;fit=crop&#038;crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8 desktop:grid-col-10 padding-left-3 desktop:padding-left-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-36 margin-0\">Giant Star in Dwarf Galaxy Sextans A (Spectrum)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-6\">\n<p class=\"p-md margin-0 color-carbon-black-important\">This graph shows a spectrum of an Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) star in the Sextans A galaxy. It compares data collected by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope with models of mostly silicate-free dust and dust containing at least 5% silicates.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-2 desktop:grid-col-1 display-flex flex-justify-end\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/asset\/webb\/giant-star-in-dwarf-galaxy-sextans-a-spectrum\/\"  aria-label=\"Giant Star in Dwarf Galaxy Sextans A (Spectrum)\" class=\"link-external-false\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n                            <svg class=\"hds-featured-link-list-button margin-left-auto margin-right-0\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\">\n                                <circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path>\n                            <\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Links<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Read more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/science-overview\/science-explainers\/webb-science-galaxies-through-time\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Webb Science: Galaxies Through Time<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Explore more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/asset\/webb\/massive-stars-engines-of-creation\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Massive stars: Engines of Creation<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Explore more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/asset\/webb\/wolf-rayet-apep-visualization\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Wolf-Rayet Apep Visualization<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/science-overview\/science-explainers\/spectroscopy-101-introduction\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Spectroscopy 101<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/latestnews\/\" rel=\"noopener\">More Webb News<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/multimedia\/images\/\" rel=\"noopener\">More Webb Images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/science-overview\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Webb Science Themes<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Webb Mission Page<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related for Kids<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceplace.nasa.gov\/james-webb-space-telescope\/en\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>What is the Webb Telescope?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceplace.nasa.gov\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>SpacePlace for Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<html><body><\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 nasa_template_article_b hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-round\">\n<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-x\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a 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border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\">Jan 06, 2026<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Location<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\"><a class=\"hds-location-tag-name\" href=\"https:\/\/nasa.gov\/goddard\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"hds-meta-heading\">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"grid-row margin-y-3\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Contact<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"heading-16 padding-bottom-1 border-bottom margin-bottom-2\">Media<\/div>\n<div class=\"cnd-extra-left-wysiwyg\">\n<p><strong>Laura Betz<\/strong><br \/>\nNASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<br \/>\nGreenbelt, Maryland<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:laura.e.betz@nasa.gov\">laura.e.betz@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Hannah Braun<\/strong><br \/>\nSpace Telescope Science Institute<br \/>\nBaltimore, Maryland<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"article-tags\">\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\" rel=\"noopener\">James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/astrophysics\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Astrophysics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/galaxies\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Galaxies<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/category\/universe\/galaxies\/irregular-galaxies\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Irregular Galaxies<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/category\/science-research\/astrophysics\/origin-evolution-of-the-universe\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Origin &#038; Evolution of the Universe<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Science &#038; Research<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/\" rel=\"noopener\">The Universe<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-topic-cards nasa-gb-align-full maxw-full width-full padding-y-6 padding-x-3 color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-topic-cards\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block-lg padding-x-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"desktop:grid-col-8 margin-bottom-2 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"label color-carbon-60 margin-bottom-2\">Keep Exploring<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"heading-36 line-height-sm\">Related Topics<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-gap-2 hds-topic-cards-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>James Webb Space Telescope<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"1032\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png 1041w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png?resize=300,297 300w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png?resize=768,761 768w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png?resize=1024,1015 1024w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png?resize=50,50 50w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png?resize=100,100 100w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png?resize=400,397 400w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png?resize=600,595 600w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/jwst_artist_concept_0.png?resize=900,892 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/galaxies\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Galaxies<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"938\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/spiral-galaxy-jpg.webp?w=1200\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/spiral-galaxy-jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/spiral-galaxy-jpg.webp?resize=300,235 300w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/spiral-galaxy-jpg.webp?resize=768,600 768w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/spiral-galaxy-jpg.webp?resize=1024,800 1024w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/spiral-galaxy-jpg.webp?resize=400,313 400w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/spiral-galaxy-jpg.webp?resize=600,469 600w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/spiral-galaxy-jpg.webp?resize=900,704 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/astrophysics\/focus-areas\/what-are-galaxies\/stories\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Galaxies Stories<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1423\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/hubble-abells0740-opo0708a-jpg.webp?w=1280\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/hubble-abells0740-opo0708a-jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/hubble-abells0740-opo0708a-jpg.webp?resize=270,300 270w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/hubble-abells0740-opo0708a-jpg.webp?resize=768,854 768w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/hubble-abells0740-opo0708a-jpg.webp?resize=921,1024 921w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/hubble-abells0740-opo0708a-jpg.webp?resize=360,400 360w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/hubble-abells0740-opo0708a-jpg.webp?resize=540,600 540w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/hubble-abells0740-opo0708a-jpg.webp?resize=810,900 810w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/hubble-abells0740-opo0708a-jpg.webp?resize=1079,1200 1079w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Universe<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1514\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?w=1536\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg 3941w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=300,296 300w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=768,757 768w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=1024,1009 1024w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=1536,1514 1536w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=2048,2019 2048w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=50,50 50w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=100,100 100w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=400,394 400w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=600,591 600w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=900,887 900w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=1200,1183 1200w, https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ngc5068-1-flat-final.jpg?resize=2000,1972 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Using NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have spotted two rare kinds of dust in the dwarf galaxy Sextans A, one of the most chemically primitive galaxies near the Milky Way. The finding of metallic iron dust and silicon carbide (SiC) produced by aging stars, along with tiny clumps of carbon-based molecules, shows that even [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15612,15757,17143,15637,16183,15597,15638],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-343909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-astrophysics","category-galaxies","category-irregular-galaxies","category-james-webb-space-telescope-jwst","category-origin-evolution-of-the-universe","category-science-research","category-the-universe"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=343909"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343909\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":344581,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343909\/revisions\/344581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=343909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=343909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=343909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}