Webb Telescope's Discovery Alters Universe's Historical Understanding

A surprising finding made by the Webb telescope has changed the history of the universe.

Using new data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, researchers discovered that spiral galaxies appeared more often in the early cosmos than previously believed. This calls into question earlier assumptions about when galaxies started and demonstrates that galaxies are developing quicker than expected.

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"Scientists at the University of Missouri are delving into the past to uncover new information about the early universe. Because light takes so long to travel through space, scientists can now see how galaxies looked billions of years ago.

In a new study, researchers at the University of Missouri discovered that spiral galaxies were more frequent in the early cosmos than previously thought.

"Previously, scientists believed that most spiral galaxies formed about 6 billion to 7 billion years after the universe's formation," said Yicheng Guo, a co-author of the study and an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri. "However, our research suggests that spiral galaxies were already common as early as 2 billion years later. This suggests that galaxies are developing quicker than previously anticipated.

Vicki Kuhn, a graduate student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri, oversaw the study. Kuhn's interest in astronomy began in high school. Photo credit: Sam O'Keefe/University of Missouri.

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This understanding has helped scientists better grasp how spiral galaxies, such as the Milky Way, evolve throughout time.

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"Understanding when spiral galaxies formed in the universe has been a hot question in astronomy because it helps us understand the evolution and history of the universe," said Vicki Kuhn, a doctoral student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri, who led the research. "There are numerous hypotheses on how spiral arms form, although the formation methods of different types of spiral galaxies can differ. This new information allows scientists to better correlate the mechanics of galaxies to hypotheses, resulting in a more detailed cosmic history."

This study focused on a portion of the spiral galaxy. Source: Vicki Kuhn.

Using recent photos from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists discovered that approximately 30% of galaxies had a spiral structure about 2 billion years after the universe's creation. This discovery gives a vital update to the universe's creation tale, which had previously been told using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

Using JWST's studies on faraway galaxies, Guo, Kuhn, and other scientists can solve the cosmic puzzle by deciphering each hint.

"With advanced instruments such as JWST, we can study more distant galaxies in more detail than ever before," Guo told the crowd. "The spiral arms of galaxies are the primary features that astronomers use to identify galaxies and understand how galaxies evolve over time. Although scientists still have many concerns regarding the universe's history, examining this data can help us discover new hints and gain a better understanding of the mechanics that define the universe's composition.

Compiled from SciTechDaily.

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