Astronomers Just Found MASSIVE Galaxies Hiding in Plain Sight – The Daily Galaxy –Great Discoveries Channel

Astronomers have uncovered massive, hidden galaxies lurking in cosmic dust—so enormous they rival the Milky Way, yet they remained completely invisible until now. What else could be hiding in the universe’s shadows?A recent study led by astrophysicists from the University of Colorado Boulder has revealed a previously unknown class of galaxies, referred to as Ultra-red Flattened Objects (UFOs). These galaxies, discovered using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal, suggest that these massive, disk-shaped galaxies were completely overlooked by earlier telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope, due to their unique properties.The discovery of UFO galaxies was made possible through the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), which aimed to map the most distant and ancient galaxies in the universe. However, instead of merely detecting faraway galaxies, the researchers stumbled upon a population of large, red-hued galaxies relatively closer to us, which had remained invisible to previous optical surveys.These galaxies emit very little visible light, making them undetectable by Hubble, which primarily observes in the visible spectrum. Instead, they shine mostly in the infrared, which is why JWST was able to pick them up.According to Justus Gibson, a doctoral student in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at CU Boulder and the study’s lead author, “JWST allows us to see this type of galaxy that we never would have been able to see before. It tells us that maybe we didn’t understand the universe as well as we thought.”One of the most striking aspects of UFO galaxies is their intense red hue, caused by the vast amounts of cosmic dust absorbing and scattering visible light. This extreme dust content raises questions about their formation and evolution.“They’re enormous red discs that pop up in these images, and they were totally unexpected,” said Erica Nelson, co-author of the study and assistant professor of astrophysics at CU Boulder.”They make you say: ‘What? How?’”.Dust plays a crucial role in star formation by acting as a building block for new stars and planets. However, the sheer volume of dust in UFO galaxies suggests that these galaxies might be experiencing an unusual growth phase or have undergone a unique cosmic event that increased their dust content.Astronomers previously assumed that they had identified most types of galaxies in the nearby universe. Before JWST’s launch, the primary focus was on detecting ancient galaxies from the early universe. The discovery of UFO galaxies, which exist closer to us than expected, challenges previous models of galaxy evolution.Prior to this study, Hubble’s optical observations had completely missed these galaxies. The newfound ability to detect them with JWST hints that there could be many more such galaxies hidden in cosmic dust, waiting to be discovered.Despite their discovery, UFO galaxies present more questions than answers. Scientists still don’t fully understand why these galaxies contain so much dust or how they formed. Nelson and her team hope that continued observations will help unravel these mysteries.One possibility is that these galaxies are in the late stages of forming stars, with their dust being remnants of past supernova explosions. Another theory suggests that they could be merging with other galaxies, triggering a massive influx of interstellar dust.Future studies will leverage JWST’s advanced capabilities to analyze the chemical composition, structure, and star formation rates of UFO galaxies. By doing so, astronomers hope to piece together the cosmic puzzle of these enigmatic objects.And why is this newsworthy? Just like saying you found a man in the park nereby! By now most people that care know there are so. Many galaxies in the universe!
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