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| A view of ESO -001, a a similar cosmic jelly fish , observed by the Hubble space Telescope (image credit:NASA) |
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered a breathtaking 'cosmic jellyfish' that may help unravel the secrets of galactic evolution.
"The data gives us a unique "glimpse" into how galaxies were altered in the early universe."
With the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have taken a remarkable image of a 'cosmic jellyfish.' This galaxy, known as COSMOS2020-635829, was observed as it was 8.5 billion years ago, approximately 5.3 billion years after Big Bang evolution.
Researchers believe it could provide a clearer understanding of galaxy evolution during a pivotal time in the young universe, and the way how the universe was formed through its young process.
COSMOS2020-635829 exemplifies a jellyfish galaxy, a type of galaxy named for its trailing gas tendrils that mimic the flexible, stinging tentacles of real jellyfish. These trails form as the galaxies 'swim' through their clusters, pushed by strong winds that strip away gas in a process known as "ram-stripping."
The team found COSMOS2020-635829 while analyzing data from the JWST collected over a specific area of the sky known as the Cosmic Evolution Survey Deep field, or the COSMOS field. This area is preferred by astronomers for studying distant and ancient galaxies because it is located away from the Milky Way's plane and is free from bright objects that could obstruct observations.
"We were sifting through a vast amount of data from this extensively studied sky region, hoping to find jellyfish galaxies that had not been previously examined," said team member Ian Roberts from the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics in the Faculty of Science in the UK.
"Early in our JWST data search, we identified a distant, undocumented jellyfish galaxy that immediately caught our attention." he added
The JWST image of COSMOS2020-635829 reveals a "galactic disk" that looks quite normal, similar to our own contemporary galaxy, except for the unique gas trails. Bright blue "knots" are visible in these tendrils, indicating clusters of young stars.The youth of these stellar formations suggests they originated outside the main galactic disk of COSMOS2020-635829, within these streams of ram-stripped gas. While this occurrence is typical for jellyfish galaxies, the image of COSMOS2020-635829 has brought at least one unexpected finding. Researchers previously believed that galaxy clusters forming around 8.5 billion years ago would not typically generate the pressure necessary for ram-stripping.
"The first point is that cluster environments were already severe enough to strip galaxies, and the second is that galaxy clusters might significantly influence galaxy characteristics earlier than anticipated," Roberts explained.
"Another possibility is that all the challenges mentioned could have contributed to the formation of the large number of dead galaxies we observe in galaxy clusters today. This information gives us a rare glimpse into how galaxies were altered in the early universe," he added.
The team plans to keep investigating COSMOS2020-635829 with the JWST, aiming to uncover more mysteries about this and other jellyfish galaxies.This discovery is an ongoing journey that could enhance our understanding of galaxies and the universe in general