NEW DELHI: The James Webb House telescope detected a “useless” galaxy that ceased star formation when the universe was solely 5% of its present age. The star formation ended roughly 13.1 billion years in the past within the galaxy noticed, simply 700 million years after the Huge Bang.
This discovery by Webb telescope, operational since 2022, marks the earliest-known occasion of a “useless” galaxy, surpassing earlier findings by about 500 million years.
Astrophysicist Tobias Looser from the Kavli Institute for Cosmology on the College of Cambridge, lead creator of the examine printed in Nature, likened the galaxy to the late Hollywood actor James Dean, noting its fast-paced star formation adopted by a sudden halt.
“The galaxy appeared to have undergone speedy star formation earlier than abruptly ceasing,” stated Looser. “Through the universe’s early levels, considerable fuel fueled galaxy formation, making this discovery notably intriguing.”
This galaxy, estimated to comprise between 100 million and one billion stars, is comparable in dimension to the Small Magellanic Cloud dwarf galaxy close to the Milky Means. Nonetheless, in contrast to the Small Magellanic Cloud, which continues to type new stars, this galaxy has entered a state of dormancy.
“After star formation ends, present stars expire with out alternative,” defined Kavli Institute astrophysicist Francesco D’Eugenio, a co-author of the examine. “The galaxy’s coloration shifts from blue to yellow to pink because it loses its most huge stars first.”
The researchers decided that the galaxy skilled a quick burst of star formation lasting between 30 to 90 million years earlier than abruptly halting. They’re presently investigating potential causes for this sudden cessation, together with the affect of a supermassive black gap on the galaxy’s middle or power suggestions from newly fashioned stars.
“Alternatively, star formation might have ceased on account of a depletion of fuel, both from speedy consumption or a scarcity of replenishment,” added Looser.
Nasa‘s Webb telescope, with its enhanced functionality to watch distant objects, has supplied astronomers with unprecedented views of the early universe. On this examine, researchers noticed the useless galaxy at a single second in time, leaving open the likelihood that it might have resumed star formation later.
(With Reuters inputs)
This discovery by Webb telescope, operational since 2022, marks the earliest-known occasion of a “useless” galaxy, surpassing earlier findings by about 500 million years.
Astrophysicist Tobias Looser from the Kavli Institute for Cosmology on the College of Cambridge, lead creator of the examine printed in Nature, likened the galaxy to the late Hollywood actor James Dean, noting its fast-paced star formation adopted by a sudden halt.
“The galaxy appeared to have undergone speedy star formation earlier than abruptly ceasing,” stated Looser. “Through the universe’s early levels, considerable fuel fueled galaxy formation, making this discovery notably intriguing.”
This galaxy, estimated to comprise between 100 million and one billion stars, is comparable in dimension to the Small Magellanic Cloud dwarf galaxy close to the Milky Means. Nonetheless, in contrast to the Small Magellanic Cloud, which continues to type new stars, this galaxy has entered a state of dormancy.
“After star formation ends, present stars expire with out alternative,” defined Kavli Institute astrophysicist Francesco D’Eugenio, a co-author of the examine. “The galaxy’s coloration shifts from blue to yellow to pink because it loses its most huge stars first.”
The researchers decided that the galaxy skilled a quick burst of star formation lasting between 30 to 90 million years earlier than abruptly halting. They’re presently investigating potential causes for this sudden cessation, together with the affect of a supermassive black gap on the galaxy’s middle or power suggestions from newly fashioned stars.
“Alternatively, star formation might have ceased on account of a depletion of fuel, both from speedy consumption or a scarcity of replenishment,” added Looser.
Nasa‘s Webb telescope, with its enhanced functionality to watch distant objects, has supplied astronomers with unprecedented views of the early universe. On this examine, researchers noticed the useless galaxy at a single second in time, leaving open the likelihood that it might have resumed star formation later.
(With Reuters inputs)
