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The Scientists Identified Galaxies That Evolved Over 10 Billion Years, An Intriguing Phenomenon That Challenges The Understanding Of Universe Formation.
The astronomers identified a virtually intact galaxy from 10 billion years ago. The NGC 1277, as it is called, is a true cosmic fossil and may offer an unprecedented view of the primitive universe.
Frozen Galaxy: What Makes The Discovery So Special?
The research was conducted by Michael Beasley and Ignacio Trujillo from the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics. Using the Hubble telescope, they confirmed that NGC 1277 is a “relic galaxy“.
In other words, a galaxy that has not undergone significant mergers over time, something extremely rare – it is estimated that only one in a thousand is like this.
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The distinguishing feature of NGC 1277 is its globular clusters, which are dense groups of stars. Normally, galaxies have two types: the red ones, which form early in the galaxy’s history, and the blue ones, which originate from mergers with other smaller galaxies.
In the case of NGC 1277, there are almost no blue clusters, which indicates that it has been isolated since its birth.
For comparison, the Milky Way has a large number of both types of clusters, as it has absorbed several other galaxies throughout its existence.
A Journey Into The Past Without Leaving The Present
Although it is one of the oldest known, NGC 1277 is not located in a remote part of the observable universe. It is about 240 million light years away, within the Perseus Cluster, which houses more than a thousand galaxies.
The explanation for its preservation lies in its extreme speed: NGC 1277 travels at about 3.2 million km/h. This rapid motion prevents it from merging with nearby galaxies, avoiding significant changes to its structure over time.
Another striking feature is its density. Despite being only a quarter the size of the Milky Way, NGC 1277 has twice as many stars. This detail makes it a fascinating subject of study for astronomers.
What Comes Next?
Beasley and Trujillo have already identified ten other possible relic galaxies, but NGC 1277 is the best-documented so far.
The next step will be to use the James Webb Telescope to analyze in detail the motion of the globular clusters and attempt to measure the amount of dark matter present in the galaxy.
The discovery challenges old ideas about galaxy evolution and could help scientists better understand how the universe develops in its first billion years.
With information from Digimed.
