Astronomers have identified the most distant spiral galaxy candidate ever observed—a vast, mature system that existed just one billion years after the Big Bang. The galaxy, named Zhúlóng, was found using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and displays features typically associated with much later cosmic periods.
Zhúlóng is a massive galaxy spanning over 60,000 light-years across and containing over 100 billion solar masses in stars. Its similarity to the Milky Way makes it an attractive analogue for studying galaxy formation and evolution. The discovery challenges old theories that rely on gradual assembly through mergers and chaotic interactions.
The galaxy’s redshift of 5.2 places it at just one billion years after the Big Bang, a time when the Universe was less than 10 percent of its current age. This finding suggests that some galaxies may undergo rapid growth and organization, prompting scientists to reconsider their understanding of cosmic evolution.
The discovery highlights the potential of advanced telescopes like JWST in uncovering rare, distant objects that test galaxy formation models. Astronomers are using deep imaging data from the JWST’s PANORAMIC survey program to explore large regions of the distant Universe and discover massive galaxies like Zhúlóng.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/space-astronomy-most-distant-spiral-galaxy-zhulong-2060507