The James Webb Space Telescope observed the "starburst" galaxy NGC 4449, seen in this image released on May 29, 2024.

Starbursts are intense periods of star formation usually concentrated at a galaxy's core, but NGC 4449's activity is much more widespread—likely due to past interactions with its galactic neighbors.

Astronomers can study this galaxy to look into the past: NGC 4449 is similar to early star-forming galaxies, which also grew by merging with other systems.

Provided by NASA