Zoom Into Dwarf Galaxy WLM

This video zooms into a portion of the dwarf galaxy Wolf–Lundmark–Melotte (WLM) captured by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera. The final image shown demonstrates Webb’s remarkable ability to resolve faint stars outside the Milky Way. 

This observation was taken as part of Webb’s Early Release Science (ERS) program 1334, focused on resolved stellar populations. The dwarf galaxy WLM was selected for this program as its gas is similar to that which made up galaxies in the early Universe and it is relatively nearby, meaning that Webb can differentiate between its individual stars. The gas in WLM is fairly unriched, chemically speaking, meaning that it is poor in elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. Learn more about Webb’s research of the dwarf galaxy WLM here.

The galaxy lies roughly 3 million light-years away.