A huge spiral galaxy, J0107A, was discovered, which was formed in a period when the universe was still young, only 2.6 billion years from Big Bang-that is a fifth of its current age. The discovery was published on Wednesday, May 21, in Nature magazine, and changes the perception of how and the moment when complex galaxies began to form.
Scientists warn that the study is based on a single galaxy. Photo: Archive
The J0107A galaxy impresses with dimensions: it has a mass ten times larger than the Milky Way and has a well -defined structure of bumped spiral galaxy – a form that, according to current theories, should not have exist so early in cosmic history, according to Agerpres.
Such galaxies need time to organize. “The fact that we see a central bar so early is amazing,” said astronomer Shuo Huang, the main author of the study.
In the center of the galaxy, the bar contains 50% gas, compared to 10% for more modern barred galaxies. Only in this region, J0107A generates the equivalent of 500 stars as the sun per year, three times more than the Milky Way in total.
A new perspective on the early universe
The discovery was possible thanks to the James Webb Space telescope and the Alma radio telescope. These tools have detected a gigantic gas cloud, 120,000-light-years in diameter, which surrounds and supplies galaxy. The researchers believe that this gas comes from the cosmic network – a structure of matter that connects the galaxies and nourishes them in the early stages.
Although the results suggest that complex galaxies have formed earlier than it was believed, scientists warn that the study is based on a single galaxy. “It is impossible to draw general conclusions without several similar observations,” says Deanne Fisher, astronomy teacher in Australia.
