The discovery of a fully formed spiral galaxy, dating back to a time when the universe was only 1.5 billion years old, challenges basic concepts of modern cosmology. Identified by astronomers from India’s National Center for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) based on observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, the structure – called Alaknanda – is about 12 billion years old and reveals a more organized scenario in the primordial universe than previously imagined.
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According to the study, published in November in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, the galaxy is about 30,000 light-years in diameter, one-third the size of the Milky Way, and is home to about 10 billion stars. For researchers Rashi Jain and Yogesh Wadekar, responsible for the analysis, it is surprising that such a symmetrical vortex, with well-defined arms and a bright core, formed so early in the history of the universe.
– The galaxy is very similar to the Milky Way, although it existed when the universe was only 10% of its current age – says Professor Wadekar. – It had to accumulate enormous stellar masses and, at the same time, develop a spiral disk in a few hundred million years. This is incredibly fast by cosmic standards.
According to the BBC English network, the structure was identified by Jane while she was analyzing a group of 70,000 objects captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, which was launched by the American, European and Canadian space agencies in 2021. Among the thousands of records, only one turned out to be a giant vortex. The researcher says she is “very excited” to observe the symmetrical arms and distinctive luminous pattern of contemporary spiral galaxies.
The discovery contradicts the prevailing view among astronomers that the so-called “cosmic dawn” – the period shortly after the Big Bang – was characterized by small, irregular and chaotic galaxies. Observations suggest that the early universe may have been more efficient and organized at forming complex structures.
– This galaxy is a rare exception, but these exceptions shake our understanding of the past – says Jain. —Webb showed that the universe was more mature in its early days and that complex forms appeared earlier than we thought.
The first images of JWST showed red and blurry spots, but in recent years, the telescope has revealed entire spiral galaxies at increasingly distant periods. However, Alaknanda is distinguished by its size and symmetry.
The light reaching Earth today left the galaxy 12 billion years ago, meaning its current state is still unknown.
– When people ask me where it is today, I say: wait another 12 billion years to find out – Wadekar jokes.
The researchers plan to request new observations from James Webb himself or from the ALMA Observatory in Chile to investigate how the galaxy was able to develop spiral arms so early.