Farthest Milky Way-like Galaxy Discovered by Webb Telescope

Subscribe to CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter and stay updated on captivating discoveries, scientific advancements, and the enigmatic galaxy in the distant universe that strongly resembles our very own Milky Way. These findings pose a provocative challenge to conventional theories on the evolution of galaxies.

The James Webb Space Telescope has identified a distant system named ceers-2112, which is similar to our own galaxy. This recently discovered ceers-2112 is the farthest known barred spiral galaxy observed to date. The central structure of the galaxy consists of star-formed bars.

Ceers-2112 came into existence shortly after the occurrence of the big bang, which is believed to have brought about the birth of the universe approximately 13.8 billion years ago. Remarkably, the distinctive structure of the galaxy had already taken shape a mere 2.1 billion years thereafter.

The galaxy cluster MACS0416 is showcased in this panchromatic image, which merges infrared observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope with visible-light data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. In the creation of this image, shorter wavelengths of light were assigned the color blue, while longer wavelengths were represented by red, and intermediate wavelengths were depicted in green. The resulting spectrum, ranging from 0.4 to 5 microns, unveils a vibrant arrangement of galaxies, offering one of the most visually stunning views of the universe ever captured.

Hubble and Webb capture breathtaking image of a spectacular Cosmic Christmas tree, illuminating the far reaches of the universe and taking us on a mesmerizing journey back in time.

Lead study author Luca Costantin, a postdoctoral researcher at Spain's Centro de Astrobiología in Madrid, stated, "This discovery unexpectedly reveals that galaxies resembling our own existed 11.7 billion years ago, when the Universe was only 15% of its current age." Astronomers were astonished by the presence of a well-organized and structured galaxy during a time when others were significantly more irregular. While massive spiral galaxies are prevalent near the Milky Way, this was not always the case.

Webb's exceptional light-detecting abilities have unveiled a groundbreaking revelation, significantly altering the scientific comprehension of galaxy formation and the nascent epochs of the universe.

According to study coauthor Alexander de la Vega, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Riverside, the discovery of ceers-2112 suggests that galaxies in the early cosmos might have exhibited the same level of organization as the Milky Way. This finding is remarkable as it counters the previous belief that galaxies during that period were considerably more disorderly, with only a scarce few possessing resemblances to our own galaxy.

A study detailing the findings was published November 8 in the journal Nature.

Early evolution of barred spiral galaxies

Astronomers previously believed that barred spiral galaxies, like the Milky Way, only emerged after the universe had reached at least half of its current age. This assumption was based on the notion that it took billions of years for galaxies to evolve and for the immense assemblages of stars within them to develop central bars.

The Chandra and Webb space telescopes have made a groundbreaking discovery - they have detected the most distant black hole ever found in X-rays. This remarkable finding was made in a galaxy called UHZ1. The presence of X-ray emissions indicates the presence of a growing supermassive black hole. This discovery could potentially shed light on the origins of the earliest supermassive black holes in the universe. The accompanying images showcase the galaxy cluster Abell 2744, with UHZ1 situated behind it. These images capture X-ray data from Chandra and infrared data from Webb, as well as close-ups of the black hole host galaxy UHZ1.

Telescopes have discovered the most ancient and farthest black hole ever observed, which came into existence following the big bang.

In spiral galaxies, the formation of bars occurs as stars rotate in an organized manner, similar to the structure of our own Milky Way. Previously, astronomers held the belief that early galaxies lacked the necessary stability for bars to emerge or persist.

The detection of ceers-2112 indicates that this transformation occurred in approximately one billion years or less, according to de la Vega.

De la Vega pointed out that almost all bars are located within spiral galaxies. The presence of a bar in ceers-2112 implies that galaxies underwent maturation and organization at a significantly faster rate than previously assumed. Hence, certain aspects of our current theories on galaxy formation and evolution require reassessment.

De la Vega suggests that astronomers must revise their theoretical models on galaxy formation and evolution to incorporate the quantity of dark matter present in the earliest galaxies.

The Crab Nebula has been observed by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, which aims to uncover insights about the origins of this supernova remnant. Through the utilization of Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), previously undiscovered particulars have been unveiled in the form of infrared light.

The remnant displayed in 2005's Hubble optical wavelength image bears resemblance to Webb's, characterized by a distinct, cage-like formation of fluffy red-orange gas filaments that are indicative of doubly ionized sulfur (sulfur III). Within the core of the remnant, expansive loop-like structures of yellow-white and green fluffy ridges can be observed, representing zones where dust particles accumulate.

The Webb telescope image reveals the ethereal radiance of the Crab Nebula, capturing its otherworldly glow. Believed to constitute a staggering 85% of all matter in the universe, dark matter remains elusive and undetected. However, the Euclid telescope, developed by the European Space Agency, aims to chart the mysterious presence of dark matter, potentially influencing the genesis of celestial structures like bars.

The discovery implies that bars can be identified in early galaxies, even though the oldest galaxies are considerably smaller in size.