In a serendipitous twist of cosmic fortune, a celestial anomaly named J0613+52, situated approximately 270 million light-years away, is challenging the conventional definition of a galaxy.
In a daring departure from the norm, this colossal entity defies what we know and appears to have no stars — or at least none that are visible. The galaxy, instead, presents itself as an enigmatic expanse of interstellar gas, meandering through the cosmic expanse in isolation, reports Science Alert.
Why is this important?
What’s curious about this galaxy is the fact that if you ignore the absence of stars, or rather extracted stars from galaxies like the Milky Way, J0613+52 is pretty much what you would expect from a galaxy.
This cosmic revelation, unveiled by astronomers led by astrophysicist Karen O’Neil from the Green Bank Observatory, is akin to stumbling upon the cosmic equivalent of a lone renegade—it could be the first discovery of a primordial galaxy in the nearby Universe. A primordial galaxy is mostly made up of gas and is estimated to have formed at the beginning of time.
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How the discovery was made
This was completely a happenstance discovery. It was a consequence of an unintentional misalignment of the Green Bank Telescope.
While showcasing the discovery at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society, O’Neil said: “The GBT was accidentally pointed to the wrong coordinates and found this object.”
“It’s a galaxy made only out of gas—it has no visible stars. Stars could be there, we just can’t see them.”
The Green Bank Observatory team was on the hunt for low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. These dimly illuminated galactic entities are characterised by low starlight emissions. Yet, during their cosmic exploration, a typo led the telescope to uncharted celestial coordinates, revealing the unexpected spectacle of J0613+52.
(With inputs from agencies)
Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
