James Webb telescope discovers rare ring galaxy and 'intruder' 2 billion years after the Big Bang
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have observed a galaxy with a ring of newborn stars as it appeared 2.1 billion years after the Big Bang — hinting that the early universe may have been more chaotic than once thought.
The James Webb Space Telescope has made a groundbreaking discovery of a rare ring galaxy, GS18660, seen just 2.1 billion years after the Big Bang. The galaxy, located far beyond our cosmic neighborhood, may have been created by a collision with an intruder galaxy. Astronomers observed GS18660 using the JWST's Near-Infrared Spectrograph instrument, which revealed its unique ring structure and allowed for in-depth analysis of its properties.
Researchers believe the collision may have occurred around 17 million to 42 million years before the galaxy's formation, explaining the formation of the ring and the burst of new stars. The presence of a small companion galaxy moving away from GS18660 at a high velocity, along with a bridge of gas connecting the two, further supports the case for a collisional origin for the ring galaxy.
The team emphasizes that while the evidence is compelling, it is not definitive proof of a collision, and further studies are needed to confirm their findings.
Written by urgent.news from Live Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
