Early Universe Packed With Milky Way-Like Galaxies: University of Missouri Study Unveils Surprising Findings

As scientists at the University of Missouri look back into the past, they find new information about the early universe.

They can see what these cosmic structures looked like billions of years ago by looking at light from galaxies far away.

Milky Way like — (Photo: Pexels/Adam Krype)

Spiral Galaxies in the Early Universe

According to research from the University of Missouri, spiral galaxies were more prevalent in the early cosmos than previously believed. Study co-author Yicheng Guo, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Mizzou, said that the earlier scientific consensus was that most spiral galaxies developed between 6 and 7 billion years after the universe started.

However, they found that spiral galaxies were widespread as early as 2 billion years ago. This implies galaxies evolved faster than previously believed.

Thanks to this fresh evidence, we now understand more fully how spiral galaxies like the Milky Way developed over time. Vicki Kuhn, a graduate student from Mizzou's Department of Physics and Astronomy, headed the investigation.

She underlined that one important astronomy question has always been how quickly spiral galaxies formed in the cosmos. This information helps us to understand the development and past of the universe. When galaxies arose, comparing their physical characteristics to current theories will allow scientists to create a more comprehensive cosmic history.

JWST: Bringing the Past to Light

A NASA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) image revealed that around 2 billion years after the universe started, almost 30% of galaxies had a spiral pattern. Because of information from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, scientists now understand more about the universe's beginning.

By deciphering each clue's meaning, Guo, Kuhn, and other scientists may examine these extremely distant galaxies and use JWST to solve a cosmic puzzle. Guo concentrated on that contemporary instruments like the JWST enable scientists to discover more about distant galaxies than they could previously. New methods of universe exploration are now feasible thanks to this contemporary technology.

Among the most significant tools scientists use to classify galaxies and track their evolution throughout time are their spiral arms. Utilizing this information will be highly beneficial in locating other hints and expanding our understanding of the mechanics that created our planet.

The study was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and is called "JWST Reveals a Surprisingly High Fraction of Galaxies Being Spiral-like at 0.5 ≤ z ≤ 4." The study team comprises Alec Martin, Julianna Bayless, Ellie Gates, and AJ Puleo. The Missouri Space Grant Consortium and the University of Missouri Research Council partly paid for this project.

What This Means for Astronomy

The study from the University of Missouri has important implications for astronomy. Figuring out how typical spiral galaxies were in the early universe helps improve models of how galaxies evolve. It also allows us to guess how galaxies, like our Milky Way, will behave and grow.

Kuhn discussed this study at the 244th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Madison, Wisconsin. He said it changes how we think about the universe's past and helps us make better predictions about how galaxies form.

Kuhn clarified that the creation process of spiral arms might differ for every kind of spiral galaxy and that several hypotheses exist regarding it. He continued that with this fresh data, they can better match ideas to galaxies' physical characteristics, producing a more thorough chronology of the universe.

Using the JWST's features, scientists can continue to study these faraway galaxies more closely than ever. This ongoing study will undoubtedly lead to more discoveries that will help us learn more about the early universe and the changing processes that cause galaxies to form. As we learn more about where we came from in the universe, we get closer to understanding its long and complicated past.