<p><a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.05124" rel="noreferrer">Myung Gyoon Lee et al 2022</a> seem confident that they are globular clusters.</p>
<p><a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.05502" rel="noreferrer">Faisst et al 2022</a> seem to also consider the possibility that they could be stripped cores of dwarf galaxies.</p>
<p>They are both analyzing small dots near a galaxy in the SMACS field, but is different from the one in the OP. I am not sure these findings can also be applied to the picture in the OP.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-17T05:08:54.750Z
I'm pretty sure they can; +1
pela
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-16T20:36:45.830Z
2022-08-16T20:36:45.830Z
Prallax
<p>In the first image released by the James Webb Space Telescope, some galaxies seem to have many bright dots - what are these? Young, huge stars? Supernovae? Just hot things behind the galaxy?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/mjpI8.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/mjpI8.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Z1xqp.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Z1xqp.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>(<a href="https://stsci-opo.org/STScI-01G7JJADTH90FR98AKKJFKSS0B.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">30 MB full resolution here</a>)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-12T10:20:16.930Z
Regarding the bottom image: I too quickly gravitated to that when the pic was published. It appears to be a jet spurting from a quasar. Or just a coincidental positioning of different entities.
White Prime
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-12T11:44:48.370Z
I doubt the dots are stars, I would suggest perhaps clusters but haven't got anything to prove that. I doubt its a jet, note that it has a central bright region (note the diffraction spikes) so its probably just a coincidental alignment with another galaxy, and the rbight spot is the center of that Galaxy..
Rob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-12T12:11:33.403Z
It's the [diffraction pattern](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/48836/why-does-the-alignment-evaluation-image-from-jwst-look-like-this/) that you usually only see from bright stars, but JWST is so sensitive and has so high resolution that the nuclei of some bright and compact galaxies show it as well. It will probably be a bit of a problem removing them.
pela
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-13T20:46:02.263Z
@pela It doesn't look like the diffraction pattern to me. There are many other places in the image where the diffraction pattern is evident and they don't show these seemingly-randomly scattered dots around the source. They look like something physical to me
Prallax
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-14T01:38:51.363Z
@Prallax: it does roughly seem like the diffraction pattern to me. It has the same number of spikes (6) as a star, the spikes are just fuzzier and less defined. Maybe the light from some galaxies is simply point-like enough that we start to see that spike pattern. It was something I thought was curious as well.
Greg Burghardt
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-14T08:31:31.377Z
@Prallax Ah, sorry, I misunderstood! No, those things are probably globular (star) clusters, belonging to the galaxy. It's quite amazing that they're resolved :)
pela
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-14T08:35:13.157Z
(btw, I don't think a quantum mechanic would like to hear that diffraction is not physical ;-) )
pela
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-14T11:31:33.313Z
@pela ops! I hope no quantum mechanic/optic expert passes by and gets personally offended ;)
Prallax
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-14T11:33:16.730Z
@pela I think your comments would make combined for a brief yet nice answer.
planetmaker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-14T11:38:39.213Z
@planetmaker maybe it's better to wait some time. My impression is that it is too soon to tell with certainty, but I bet that in a few days/weeks many people will have analyzed the data and will have come out with more solid conclusions
Prallax
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-14T11:46:36.353Z
@Prallax Yes, I'm not certain enough to write an answer at this point. But I just discussed with a colleague that agrees.
pela
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-14T11:58:19.867Z
@pela great! Keep us updated!
Prallax
<galaxy><james-webb-space-telescope><infrared>
What are the bright dots in some galaxies in the first JWST image?
2080
# What are the bright dots in some galaxies in the first JWST image?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-12)

In the first image released by the James Webb Space Telescope, some galaxies seem to have many bright dots - what are these? Young, huge stars? Supernovae? Just hot things behind the galaxy?

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/mjpI8.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/mjpI8.png)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Z1xqp.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Z1xqp.png)

([30 MB full resolution here](https://stsci-opo.org/STScI-01G7JJADTH90FR98AKKJFKSS0B.png))

**Tags:** galaxy, james-webb-space-telescope, infrared

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Regarding the bottom image: I too quickly gravitated to that when the pic was published. It appears to be a jet spurting from a quasar. Or just a coincidental positioning of different entities.  
> **username_2**: I doubt the dots are stars, I would suggest perhaps clusters but haven't got anything to prove that. I doubt its a jet, note that it has a central bright region (note the diffraction spikes) so its probably just a coincidental alignment with another galaxy, and the rbight spot is the center of that Galaxy..  
> **username_3**: It's the [diffraction pattern](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/48836/why-does-the-alignment-evaluation-image-from-jwst-look-like-this/) that you usually only see from bright stars, but JWST is so sensitive and has so high resolution that the nuclei of some bright and compact galaxies show it as well. It will probably be a bit of a problem removing them.  
> **username_4**: @username_3 It doesn't look like the diffraction pattern to me. There are many other places in the image where the diffraction pattern is evident and they don't show these seemingly-randomly scattered dots around the source. They look like something physical to me  
> **username_5**: @username_4: it does roughly seem like the diffraction pattern to me. It has the same number of spikes (6) as a star, the spikes are just fuzzier and less defined. Maybe the light from some galaxies is simply point-like enough that we start to see that spike pattern. It was something I thought was curious as well.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 Ah, sorry, I misunderstood! No, those things are probably globular (star) clusters, belonging to the galaxy. It's quite amazing that they're resolved :)  
> **username_3**: (btw, I don't think a quantum mechanic would like to hear that diffraction is not physical ;-) )  
> **username_4**: @username_3 ops! I hope no quantum mechanic/optic expert passes by and gets personally offended ;)  
> **username_6**: @username_3 I think your comments would make combined for a brief yet nice answer.  
> **username_4**: @username_6 maybe it's better to wait some time. My impression is that it is too soon to tell with certainty, but I bet that in a few days/weeks many people will have analyzed the data and will have come out with more solid conclusions  
> **username_3**: @username_4 Yes, I'm not certain enough to write an answer at this point. But I just discussed with a colleague that agrees.  
> **username_4**: @username_3 great! Keep us updated!  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2022-08-16. Score: 5

[Myung Gyoon Lee et al 2022](https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.05124) seem confident that they are globular clusters.

[Faisst et al 2022](https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.05502) seem to also consider the possibility that they could be stripped cores of dwarf galaxies.

They are both analyzing small dots near a galaxy in the SMACS field, but is different from the one in the OP. I am not sure these findings can also be applied to the picture in the OP.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I'm pretty sure they can; +1  

---

