Astronomers Discover Early Universe Galaxies Shaped Like Surfboards and Swimming Pool Floats
A recent analysis of near-infrared images from the Webb Space Telescope has revealed that galaxies in the early universe were much different in shape than they are today. Instead of the round or oval shapes commonly seen in modern galaxies, astronomers found that galaxies in the early universe were predominantly flat and elongated, resembling surfboards and swimming pool floats.
The study, soon to be published in The Astrophysical Journal, showcases the cosmic material network distributional influence and emphasizes the ongoing merging of small galaxies. According to the analysis, these surfboard-shaped and swimming pool floating bar galaxies were more common in the 6 to 6 billion years after the formation of the universe, accounting for about 50 to 80% of galaxies. This suggests that the shape of galaxies has evolved significantly over the history of the universe.
“The closest guess is that the Milky Way also looks like a surfboard,” said the researchers. “It is currently unclear whether the shape of galaxies is constantly evolving, and scientists will need to figure out how the 3D geometry of galaxies changes over 13 billion years.”
The findings from the Webb Space Telescope align with previous observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, which found that massive galaxies in the early universe tended to be in the shape of oblate spheroids, similar to today’s elliptical galaxies. Additionally, the analysis confirmed that many of the smaller and fainter galaxies showed an elongated appearance, similar to the shape of tadpoles.
The researchers believe that young galaxies in the early universe formed elongated shapes along the dark matter filaments of the cosmic web. Over billions of years, the cosmic web filaments continued to disperse, leading the galaxies to rotate and evolve into oblate structures.
The discovery has provided astronomers with a new perspective on the evolution of galaxies over time. By studying the shapes and distribution of early universe galaxies, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of the processes that have shaped the cosmic landscape over billions of years.