IC 1623

[3] IC 1623 consists of two galaxies in the early to mid stages of merger.

[5][6] Beyond 1 μm, VV 114E increasingly becomes the dominant luminosity component of the merger,[5] being the brightest source in mid infrared.

[8] The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observed the nucleus of the eastern galaxy in mid-infrared, revealing a northeastern and a southwestern core.

[11] Additionally, JWST identified 40 star-forming regions with a total star formation rate ranging from 0.02 to 6 solar masses per year.

There is also significant diffuse emission from filaments, primarily attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons heated by the star-forming regions and the underlying stellar population.

IC 1623 by the James Webb Space Telescope . The luminous core of the galaxy merger turns out to be both very bright and highly compact, so much so that diffraction spikes appear atop the galaxy in this image. [ 4 ]