A relic galaxy has been discovered from the early universe, revealing new clues about what our galaxy, the Milky Way, might have looked like billions of years ago.
In new images from NASA james webb space telescopeThe galaxy appears as a long, twisting arc teaming with star clusters, resembling a swarm of lightning bugs on a warm summer night. Its dazzling appearance has earned this cosmic structure the nickname “Firefly Flame Galaxy.”
Researchers used computer modeling to measure the weight of the galaxy, showing that the galaxy had a mass similar to what the galaxy may have had at the same stage of development 600 million years later. big bang. Other galaxies discovered around the same time are said to be much more massive. declaration From NASA.
“I didn’t think it would be possible to resolve a galaxy that existed so early. universe Lamiya Mowla, co-author of the study and assistant professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, said: “There is so much going on inside this tiny galaxy, including the various stages of star formation.”
With the help of a natural phenomenon known as gravity lens With the foreground object acting as a magnifying glass, JWST revealed that the twinkling Firefly Galaxy has two companion galaxies, which together make up the galaxy cluster MACS J1423. These two neighboring companion galaxies have a major influence on how the Firefly Sparkle Galaxy forms and builds mass over time, according to the statement.
“Most of the others galaxy JWST has shown that we are not enlarged or stretched and the ‘building blocks’ cannot be viewed in isolation,” Mowla said in a statement. “With Firefly Sparkle, we are witnessing the galaxy being assembled, brick by brick.”
Taking into account the galaxy’s elongated, elongated appearance, the researchers were able to identify 10 distinct, twinkling galaxies. clusterIt is the main source of light from the galaxy. This star cluster appears in various shades of pink, purple, and blue in the new JWST image. This refers to the different stages of star formation and highlights the time-lag evolution of the galaxy.
“This galaxy has a diverse population of star clusters, and these galaxies were discovered separately in the early ages of the universe,” said Chris Willott, co-author of the study and Herzberg Fellow at the National Research Council of Canada. “It’s amazing to be able to see it,” he said. The Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Center said in a statement: “Each chunk star They are going through different stages of formation or evolution.”
The Firefly Sparkle Galaxy will continue to evolve as it orbits two very close companion clusters. Each time it passes through, more gas condenses and cools, forming a new cluster. These interactions could not only help the Firefly Sparkle Galaxy grow and gain mass, but could ultimately lead to the demise of the two smaller galaxies, which could be consumed by a galaxy merger. Researchers described the capabilities of JWST.
Here are their findings: Published on December 11th In the journal Nature.
