Astronomers have reassessed images of approximately 4,000 newborn galaxies using the James Webb Space Telescope. The findings presented in the new study reveal that the galaxies' shapes resemble bananas.
Over the decades, the prevailing belief among astrophysicists and cosmologists was that nascent galaxies took on the forms of orbs and web-like discs.
“This is both a surprising and unexpected result, though there were already hints of it with Hubble,” Viraj Pandya, a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University and lead author of the forthcoming study Galaxies Going Bananas, told the media.
9 November 2023, 21:23 GMT
The telescope's findings suggest that ancient galaxies had shapes akin to pickles, according to Joel Primack from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and one of the co-authors of the research.
Dr. Pandya's team studied galaxy images in a small sky area called the Extended Groth Strip, previously examined by telescopes like Hubble.
If this research outcome is not refuted, it may redefine how astronomers understand galaxies' birth and development.
Additionally, media reports suggest it could offer fresh perspectives on the elusive nature of dark matter, a hidden component that scientists suggest comprises a significant portion of the universe's structure, overshadowing conventional matter by a margin of five to one. This invisible matter is pivotal in forming galaxies by providing gravitational foundations.