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This spiral galaxy was observed as part of the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) programme, a large project that includes observations from several space- and ground-based telescopes of many galaxies to help researchers study all phases of the star formation cycle, from the formation of stars within dusty gas clouds to the energy released in the process that creates the intricate structures revealed by Webb’s new images.
NGC 3627 is 36 million light-years away in the constellation Leo.
Learn more about what can be seen in this vast collection of Webb images here.
[Image description: Webb’s image of NGC 3627 shows a face-on barred spiral galaxy anchored by its central region, which has a bright blue central dot. It is surrounded by a bar structure filled with a lighter blue haze of stars, which forms a large, angled oval toward the top. Two large distinct spiral arms appear as arcs that start at the central bar. One starts at left and stretches to the top and another starts at right and extends to the bottom.]