Astronomers found amazing cosmic objects that were suspected as new jellyfish galaxies. This galaxy is located around 12 billion light years from Earth, through high resolution imaging from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
This galaxy displays traces such as tentacles-gas and stars that extend from one side-typical of jellyfish galaxies, which are the types of galaxies that make star-forming material when “swimming” across space. Although it requires further analysis to ensure, all indications so far support the allegation that the galaxy is included in this rare category.
Found accidentally
This discovery was carried out by Ian Roberts, an astronomer from the University of Waterloo, while tracing the images of JWST catch. “The fact that this unique galaxy can be found accidentally shows the importance of systematic search of objects like this,” Roberts told live science.
The initial papers of his team have been published on Arxiv’s preview servers, but have not yet gone through a peer-review process.
Jellyfish galaxy phenomenon
Jellyfish galaxies are formed through a phenomenon called RAM pressure stripping. This happens when a galaxy crosses space between dense galaxies in a galaxy group. This friction pushes gas and stars out of the galaxy, creating a long “tentacle” that sometimes triggers the formation of new stars.
Although this process is common in the galaxy room that is closer to the earth, the jellyfish phase is very short on a cosmic time scale, so it is rarely caught by a telescope before disappearing.
But for galaxies so far, said Roberts, “We really don’t know how common galaxies like this.” The discovery opens opportunities to understand more about the evolution of galaxy and the process of star formation, especially why some galaxies in a dense environment produce fewer stars than other galaxies.
Cosmic illusion?
Although RAM pressure stripping is the most reasonable explanation, the researchers have not risen the possibility that the appearance of tentacles is only an optical illusion. Some parts of the image are taken using techniques that can cause blur effects, so there is still uncertainty.
According to Roberts, the gas lost from the center of the galaxy can inhibit the formation of stars in the core, although at the same time can trigger a new star explosion in the tail.
With limited data, it is uncertain whether the jellyfish galaxy at this distance is a rare phenomenon or not.
“We don’t know the answer. But the more galaxies like this are found, the more instructions we get,” Roberts explained.
The research team now hopes to get additional data from other telescopes to clarify the image and confirm whether this object is really a jellyfish galaxy. (Live Science/Z-2)
