James Webb reveals to scientists a galaxy that shouldn't exist

Once again, thanks to James Webb, astronomers have made a discovery that could shake up our current understanding of how the universe originated. A space telescope revealed a galaxy that shouldn't actually exist.

Ancient galaxy: more stars than 'likely'

Specifically, it concerns a galaxy called ZF-UDS-7329, which is said to have formed about 800 million years after the Big Bang. The problem: The number of stars in the ancient galaxy is greater than the number of stars in our Milky Way, according to what was reported in the specialized journal Nature. Published study Offers.

“The presence of such extremely massive galaxies so early in the universe poses major challenges to our standard model of cosmology,” explains astronomer and study co-author Claudia Lagos of the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research.

What role does dark matter play?

Until now, scientists have assumed that so-called dark matter played a major role in the formation of the early universe. These elements gather together to form so-called halos, where gas accumulates and condenses into stars Writes the future.

According to previous models, dark matter was not yet capable of producing stars in such large numbers a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

Discover more ancient, strange galaxies

Also, ZF-UDS-7329 is not the first galaxy discovered by James Webb and it should not exist. In February 2023, researchers reported six galaxies containing an unusually large number of massive suns that formed 500 to 700 million years after the Big Bang.

Does the Standard Model of cosmology need to be rewritten? Experts are still unsure whether the observed galaxies are very old and massive or not. For example, mass is estimated based on brightness.

James Webb continues the search

In the coming months, more studies of possible ancient galaxies will show just how shaky our idea of ​​the universe's origins is. With the Hubble Constant, there is at least one more mystery that challenges the known standard models.

Astronomer Themia Nanayakkara from Swinburne University of Technology, who was also involved in the study mentioned above, takes a mathematical view of the whole thing. “We are now going beyond what is possible to confirm the oldest dormant massive monsters in the depths of the universe,” Nanayakkara said.

This would at least expand the boundaries of current understanding of how galaxies form and evolve. Let's see what things that seem impossible at first will be highlighted by James Webb.