Using the James Webb Space Telescope a team of astronomers has apparently discovered huge galaxies dating back to within 600 million years of the Big Bang.
The telescope has previously spotted older galaxies within 300 million years of the Big Bang, but the size and sophistication of these objects have surprised astronomers.
Ivo Labbe, the lead researcher on the project, said that "while most galaxies in this era are still small and only gradually growing larger over time ... there are a few monsters that fast-track to maturity. Why this is the case or how this would work is unknown."
- Each of the six "mega galaxies" appears to weigh billions of times more than our sun.
- Joel Leja, another researcher involved in the study, said that the discovery of what he calls "universe breakers" stands in contrast to prevailing wisdom about the possible size of galaxies this early in the history of the universe.
- Researchers are waiting to confirm that the objects are, in fact, galaxies, with Leja saying that a few of them could be supermassive black holes.
- The study was published in Nature.
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- The $10B James Webb Telescope was launched a year ago as a joint effort between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.
