A team of astronomers at the University of Missouri has made an eye-opening discovery using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. They’ve found a unique set of galaxies that don’t fit traditional categories, likening them to the platypus in biology—strange and one-of-a-kind.
Principal investigator Haojing Yan describes these galaxies as tiny and compact, looking like mere points of light. Yet, they lack the powerful characteristics typical of quasars, which are known for hosting supermassive black holes. “We didn’t expect them to exist together, but here they are,” Yan said.
This finding was shared at the American Astronomical Society’s 247th meeting in Phoenix. The researchers sifted through 2,000 cosmic sources, narrowing it down to nine unique points that existed 12 to 12.6 billion years ago, a time when the universe was still young.
“Like the platypus mixes traits of birds, reptiles, and mammals, these galaxies combine unexpected features,” Yan explained. Their spectral data—the light they emit—revealed something unusual. Instead of broad peaks, which indicate fast gas movement typical in quasars, these galaxies had narrow peaks, suggesting slower gas dynamics.
Though narrow-line galaxies with active black holes exist, they don’t have the point-like appearance that the team’s sample does. This raises intriguing questions: Do these galaxies represent a new stage in galaxy formation? Could they be the tiny building blocks from which larger galaxies form?
Graduate student Bangzheng Sun added that the data could indicate these galaxies are indeed star-forming, but their compactness makes them a mystery. “It fits with the data, yet it’s odd for them to be so small,” he noted.
According to a recent survey by the National Science Foundation, around 70% of astronomers believe that Webb has the potential to provide new insights into galaxy formation. Yan and his team now hope to expand their sample size to draw firmer conclusions. “We found a few incredible examples in the background of broader surveys,” he said. “Now we need to explore further.”
The James Webb Space Telescope is redefining our understanding of the cosmos. It is a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) aimed at answering fundamental questions about our universe.
If you’re interested in exploring what the James Webb Space Telescope has to offer, you can learn more at NASA’s Webb page.
Source link
Astrophysics, Galaxies, Goddard Space Flight Center, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Science & Research, The Universe
