Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery about the Phoenix cluster, a massive collection of galaxies that defies expectations. The team used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to map regions within the cluster’s core where warm gas was detected, providing conclusive evidence that the central galaxy is actively cooling and generating its own stellar fuel.
The Phoenix cluster, located 5.8 billion light years from Earth, was previously thought to be “red and dead” due to its size and estimated age. However, observations revealed a vibrant core with an extremely high rate of star formation, sparking a mystery: where did the fuel come from?
Researchers at MIT and other institutions have now shed light on this enigma. By detecting warm gas within the central galaxy, they found that it is actively cooling and generating ultracold gas, which is then used to form stars. This process is unlike anything seen in any galaxy before.
The discovery was made using JWST’s far-reaching infrared-measuring capabilities, which enabled the team to map regions with intermediate temperatures between hot and cold gas. The presence of warm gas confirms that the Phoenix cluster is indeed actively cooling and generating its own stellar fuel on its own.
While the reasons behind this phenomenon remain unclear, scientists are optimistic about unlocking new insights into galaxy formation and evolution. The study’s findings have significant implications for our understanding of these complex systems, providing a new way to observe and understand them better.
Source: https://news.mit.edu/2025/study-reveals-phoenix-galaxy-cluster-extreme-cooling-0213