Thursday, May 23, 2024

Inbox Astronomy: Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

INBOX ASTRONOMY

Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas

Release date: Thursday, May 23, 2024 2:00:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Galaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas



Only Webb can detect and investigate these galaxies, which were forming within dense, opaque gas when the universe was only a few hundred million years old.

A team in Denmark examining archival data from the James Webb Space Telescope recently found a trio of distant galaxies that are in the process of gathering gas when the universe was only a few hundred million years old. Their detection and characterization are remarkable achievements that only Webb is currently capable of, thanks to its specialization in infrared light. The data show for the first time that large reservoirs of gas surround these early galaxies. That gas will eventually fall into the galaxies, fueling new star formation, and, over millions of years, lead to highly structured galaxies brimming with stars.



Find additional articles, images, and videos at WebbTelescope.org



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