Using the ALMA telescope in Chile and Einstein's theory of relativity, scientists observed a young galaxy in
It turned out that the young star-formingthe galaxy is filled with dust and gas. It formed 11 billion years ago, 2 billion years after the Big Bang, when the Universe was about six times smaller than its current size.
Scientists have figured out how to look into the past of the universe
Dim, distant and dust-clogged, the object is almostinvisible at any wavelength of light. However, a gravitational “trick” originally predicted by Albert Einstein has helped scientists view the “invisible” galaxy.
“Very distant galaxies are real treasure trovesinformation about the past and future evolution of our Universe,” explains Marica Giulietti, lead author of the study and an astrophysicist at the International School of Advanced Study in Italy. — However, studying them is incredibly difficult. They are very compact and therefore difficult to observe. Also, due to the distance, they glow very faintly.”
The team used the general theoryEinstein's relativity to observe a distant galaxy. According to it, massive objects such as galaxies or some stars distort the space around them, so any passing light is amplified significantly. This means that researchers can use them as a cosmic magnifying glass to observe other, more distant objects. This only happens when they line up correctly. This effect is known as gravitational lensing and has already helped astronomers see some of the earliest galaxies in the Universe.
Einstein's idea helped scientists "weigh" a dead star for the first time
However, due to the huge amount of interstellarWith dust in its path, this particular galaxy was difficult to see even with the help of gravitational lensing. So the researchers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a set of 66 radio telescopes in Chile. Because dust absorbs and re-emits light, submillimeter telescopes are often used to observe these types of celestial bodies.
Eventually, ALMA peered through the dust and discoveredyoung active galaxy. It turned out that it forms stars 1,000 times faster than the Milky Way. In the future, James Webb will talk about this object in more detail.
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Cover photo: Giulietti et al./SISSA
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