Webb Telescope Detects Surprisingly mature Spiral Galaxy, Rewriting Early Universe Timeline
WASHINGTON – Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered a fully formed spiral galaxy, dubbed Alaknanda, dating back to a period just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.The finding challenges current understanding of how galaxies evolve,as Alaknanda boasts a mature structure and contains an estimated ten billion solar masses of stars formed with remarkable speed.
The unexpectedly rapid development of Alaknanda-a galaxy that, in cosmic terms, assembled itself in a fraction of the time predicted by existing models-forces a reevaluation of the conditions present in the early universe. Its existence suggests that the building blocks for complex galactic structures, and potentially habitable worlds, may have emerged far earlier than previously thought. This discovery impacts cosmological research, potentially altering timelines for the formation of the first stars and galaxies and influencing theories about the distribution of dark matter.
Alaknanda’s spiral arms, a defining characteristic of mature galaxies like our own Milky Way, present a particular puzzle. Researchers propose two leading possibilities for their formation: a stable growth fueled by consistent streams of cold gas, allowing density waves to sculpt the arms, or a disruptive gravitational encounter with a smaller galaxy that triggered the structure.
Future observations utilizing JWST’s spectroscopic instruments, alongside data from the ALMA radio telescope, are planned to analyze Alaknanda’s rotational speed and internal order. Determining whether the galaxy’s dynamics are “cold” or “hot” will provide crucial insights into its origins. The research, published this week, underscores JWST’s capacity to unveil previously unseen details of the universe’s infancy and reshape our understanding of cosmic history.
