The James Webb Space Telescope Captures Remarkable Image of a Galaxy from 13.1 Billion Years Ago
According to SciTech Daily, the object recently discovered by James Webb is an ancient galaxy vigorously forming stars in its outer regions, situated in a part of the universe just 700 million years after the Big Bang.
This galaxy is named NGC 1549, which is 100 times smaller than the Milky Way where Earth resides, yet it matured astonishingly during the early universe.
However, its growth pattern is the most unusual aspect.
Galaxies in the early universe may have very different structures and formation methods compared to today – (AI Illustration: ANH THƯ).
According to a research team led by Dr. Sandro Tacchella from the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge (UK), like a large city, this “translucent” galaxy from over 13 billion years ago has a dense stellar core but becomes more sparse in its “suburban areas.”
Similar to how a city develops, it is gradually expanding by accelerating star formation in the “suburban” regions, creating “satellite cities.”
This is a completely opposite growth method compared to galaxies today, which typically develop through two main mechanisms.
The first occurs when a cloud of gas collapses under its own gravitational force, forming a very dense stellar core, which may include black holes, continuously drawing in gas and dust to form new stars.
As the galaxy grows larger, star formation increases, gathering momentum and spinning faster, resulting in a spiral or disc shape.
Thus, the primary mechanism remains pulling material from the outside in to form stars within. This method contrasts sharply with how the star-forming regions at the outskirts of NGC 1549 contribute to its growth.
Actual image of NGC 1549 – (Photo: NASA/ESA/CSA).
The second common method involves galaxies growing by merging with other galaxies, similar to how our Milky Way has consumed over 20 “victims” throughout its lifetime.
According to the authors, the star formation process seen in the ancient NGC 1549 has been mentioned in astronomical theories. However, this is the first time concrete evidence has emerged.
Additionally, NGC 1549 exhibits many other fascinating characteristics.
NGC 1549 doubles its stellar mass in the outer regions approximately every 10 million years. This is an astonishing rate. In comparison, our Milky Way can only double its mass every 10 billion years.
The density of the galactic core, along with the high rate of star formation, indicates that at the time this young galaxy was observed, it was rich in the gas required to form new stars.
This may reflect a great deal about the environment of the early universe, where it originated and existed when James Webb captured its image.
Scientists report that they are still searching for other “peer galaxies” to this ancient object to understand whether other galaxies formed in the same “upside-down” manner.
