New images taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveal that galaxies in the early universe had flat, elongated shapes, rather than the round or spiral shapes of today’s galaxies. This discovery surprised researchers and led them to reevaluate existing theories.
According to the study’s lead author Viraj Pandya, approximately 50% to 80% of the galaxies studied appear to be flattened in two dimensions. This flat shape, similar to a pool noodle or surfboard, is rare in nearby galaxies, but appears to be quite common in the early universe. This raises interesting questions about how these galaxies formed in their early stages.
The team of researchers focused on the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Scientific Study (CEERS), a vast array of images spanning 600 to 6 billion years of space. From these images, they observed galaxies that had different shapes, some looking like surfboards, others like Frisbees and volleyballs. Interestingly, Frisbee-shaped galaxies were as large as surfboard-shaped and pool-noodle-shaped galaxies along the “horizon,” but became more common as they approached the “coast” in space.
These findings open new perspectives in the study of primitive galaxies. Scientists are excited about the opportunity to take a closer look at how the shapes of galaxies relate to their appearance and how they formed in detail. They even ventured to speculate about the shape of our galaxy, the Milky Way, at that ancient time. According to Haowen Zhang, a PhD student at the University of Arizona, the Milky Way may have looked more like a surfboard.
Although these first results are promising, the researchers point to the need to collect more data and fine-tune their models to have a more accurate understanding of distant galaxies and their geometries. However, they are excited by the first trends that are beginning to emerge and the new questions that arise from them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
1. What do new images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveal?
– New images reveal that galaxies in the early universe had flat, elongated shapes, rather than being round or spiral like today’s galaxies.
2. What percentage of the galaxies studied appear to be flattened in two dimensions?
– About 50% to 80% of the galaxies studied appear to be flattened in two dimensions.
3. How does the flat shape compare to nearby galaxies?
– The flat shape is similar to a pool noodle or a surfboard.
4. What did the research team focus on?
– The team of researchers focused on the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Scientific Study (CEERS), a vast array of images spanning 600 to 6 billion years of space.
5. What shapes do the observed galaxies have?
– They observed galaxies that had different shapes, some looked like surfboards, others like frisbees and volleyballs.
6. When are frisbee-shaped galaxies more common?
– Frisbee-shaped galaxies become more common as they approach the nearby universe.
Definition:
– Primitive Galaxies: Refers to galaxies that existed in the early stages of the universe.
– James Webb Space Telescope: A space telescope developed by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Its aim is to study the formation of galaxies, stars and planets.
– Milky Way: Our galaxy in which the solar system is located.
Related links:
– Webb Space Telescope
– Galaxies in the early universe
