Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery in the distant universe, finding a galaxy that closely resembles the Milky Way. The galaxy, called ceers-2112, is a barred spiral galaxy, similar to our home galaxy. It was discovered by an international team using the James Webb Space Telescope and is now the most distant of its kind ever observed.
The fascinating element of this discovery is that ceers-2112 formed shortly after the Big Bang, just 2.1 billion years later, challenging the existing theories about galaxy evolution and the early stages of the universe. Lead author of the study, Luca Costantin, described the new finding as “unexpected”, highlighting the fact that the galaxy’s structure was already in place when the universe was only 15% old.
The discovery has forced astronomers to rethink their understanding of galaxy formation and early universe dynamics. The existence of a well-ordered and structured galaxy at such an early stage of the universe has surprised scientists, who previously believed that massive spiral galaxies like the Milky Way only formed much later. This discovery challenges the belief that several billion years of galactic evolution were needed before the formation of central bars within galaxies.
The discovery also raises questions about the role of dark matter in the formation of galaxies. De la Vega, one of the study’s co-authors, believes that astronomers will need to reassess their theoretical models of galaxy formation taking into account the amount of dark matter included in the most primitive galaxies.
The study detailing the remarkable findings was published in the journal Nature, marking a significant new chapter in our understanding of the universe. As astronomers continue to explore the cosmos, new revelations like ceers-2112 will pave the way for further discoveries and an expanded understanding of our cosmic origins.