Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to peer back in time to the beginnings of the universe, and they discovered something they were not expected.
The space observatory discovered 6 massive galaxies that existed between 500 million and 700 million years after the big bang that created the universe. As per a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, the discovery completely upends existing theories about the origins of galaxies.
According to study coauthor Joel Leja, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State University, these objects are far more massive than anyone anticipated. He stated that we expected to find only tiny, young, baby galaxies at this point in time, but we’ve discovered galaxies as mature as our own in what was previously thought to be the dawn of the universe.
Telescope’s observation
The telescope observes the universe in infrared light, which is invisible to the naked eye and can detect faint light from ancient stars and galaxies. According to Leja, the discovery that massive galaxy formation began extremely early in the history of the universe challenges what many of us thought was settled science. We’ve dubbed these objects ‘universe breakers,’ and they’ve lived up to their moniker thus far.
The galaxies are so huge that they contradict 99% of models of early galaxies in the universe, implying that scientists must reconsider how galaxies form and evolve. According to current theory, galaxies began as small clouds of stars and dust that grew over time. Leja stated that when we first looked into the very early universe, we had no idea what we would find. We discovered something so unexpected that it actually causes problems for science. It calls into question the entire picture of early galaxy formation.”
Investigating early galaxies
When the Webb data and the telescope’s first high-resolution images were released in July, Leja and his colleagues began analyzing them. The galaxies appeared as large points of light. The team was really surprised to see them, in fact, that they thought they had interpreted the data incorrectly. According to Leja, they began modeling and attempted to figure out what they were because they were so large and bright. Her first thought was that they had made a mistake and would simply discover it and move on with their lives. Despite their best efforts, they have yet to discover that error.
Taking a spectrum image of the galaxies, which involves splitting light into different wavelengths to define various elements and determine the true distance of the galaxies, is one way to determine why the galaxies grew so quickly, according to Leja. The data from spectroscopy would provide a more detailed look at the galaxies and their enormous size. According to Leja, a spectrum will instantly tell us whether or not these things are real. She went on to say that it’s funny because we have all these things we want to learn from James Webb, and this was nowhere near the top of the list.
It’s also possible that the galaxies identified with Webb data are something entirely different. Leja stated that this is their first look back this far, so we must keep an open mind about what we see. While the data indicates that they are most likely galaxies, she believes that a few of these objects could be obscured supermassive black holes. Regardless, the amount of mass discovered indicates that the known mass of stars at this time in our universe is up to 100 times greater than previously thought.
