Hidden Dusty Galaxies Found at Edge of Universe Rewrite Cosmic History
Astronomers have found a hidden population of dusty galaxies. These galaxies sit at the edge of the observable universe. They formed just one billion years after the Big Bang.An international team made this discovery. It included 48 researchers from 14 countries. Scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst led the study. The findings appear in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Why Couldn’t We See Them Before?
These galaxies contain enormous amounts of cosmic dust. The dust blocks ultraviolet and visible light. Therefore, traditional telescopes could not detect them.”Dusty galaxies are massive systems,” says Jorge Zavala, the lead author from UMass Amherst. “They contain large amounts of metals and cosmic dust.”These galaxies formed stars extremely early. This timeline contradicts current models of the universe.
How Did Scientists Find Them?
The research team used two powerful telescopes. First, they used ALMA in Chile. It helped them identify about 400 bright, dusty galaxies.Next, they examined data from the James Webb Space Telescope. They found about 70 faint galaxy candidates. Most of these objects had remained hidden until now.Finally, they combined the ALMA data. This technique strengthened weak signals. It confirmed these galaxies formed nearly 13 billion years ago.These hidden dusty galaxies found at the universe’s edge may represent a transition phase. They could connect two other galaxy types.One type includes ultrabright galaxies that formed right after the Big Bang. The other includes dead galaxies that stopped forming stars. Therefore, these newly found galaxies might fill the gap.”It’s like having snapshots of these rare galaxies’ lifecycles,” Zavala explains. “The ultrabright ones are young. The dead ones are old. Our newly found ones are young adults.”
What This Means for Cosmic History
This discovery challenges existing cosmic models. It suggests intense star formation began earlier than we thought.The research required global cooperation. Scientists from around the world contributed. The U.S. National Science Foundation provided support.This finding proves the universe still holds surprises. Even after decades of astronomy, we keep discovering the unexpected.
