Hubble Discovers Galaxy... That Shouldn't Exist

[Gahars]

The Hubble Telescope is sort of like our eye in the sky (except for the fact that is a telescope and not an eye and is in space). It's used to capture sharp images of the cosmos, which are then analyzed and scrutinized. It looks like the Hubble has managed to snap a shot of a previously undiscovered galaxy. Now, that normally wouldn't be big news, but there's a bit of a complication...

As far as we know, this galaxy shouldn't exist. At all.

This galaxy is so large, so fully-formed, astronomers say it shouldn't exist at all. It's called a "grand-design" spiral galaxy, and unlike most galaxies of its kind, this one is old. Like, really, really old. According to a new study conducted by researchers using NASA's Hubble Telescope, it dates back roughly 10.7-billion years — and that makes it the most ancient spiral galaxy we've ever discovered.

...The hallmark of a grand design galaxy is its well-formed spiral arms, but getting into this conformation takes time. When astronomers look at most galaxies as they appeared billions and billions of years ago, they look clumpy and irregular. A 10.7-billion-year-old entity, BX442 came into existence a mere 3-billion years after the Big Bang. That's not a lot of time on a cosmic time scale, and yet BX442 looks surprisingly put together. So much so, in fact, that astronomers didn't believe it at first, chalking their unusual observation up to the accidental alignment of two separate galaxies. But further investigations, conducted at the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, revealed BX442 to be the real thing.

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And, if anyone is interested in getting a picture of the improbable galaxy up on their refrigerator...

Spoiler

Now, scientists have proposed something of a hypothesis to explain this galaxy's existence: it has a companion dwarf galaxy (scientists are evidently unaware that the polite term is "little person galaxy"), and the gravitational interactions between the two could have had a tremendous influence on its development. It's far too early to say for sure, but it's one possibility.

You know, this is what you just have to love about space. Every time we think we're just starting to get a handle on things, it throws us a curve ball. Who knows what we'll find next - another strange galaxy, or a glimpse into the gaping maw of Nyarlathotep, perhaps.

Damn, Space - you're incomprehensibly vast and still shrouded in mystery!

 

[The Catboy]

I wonder what could be in this galaxy. To be so old, I highly doubt nothing is there.

 

[431unknown]

That is spectacular!

 

[Raiser]

Tengen Toppa... you have forever engraved yourself into the world "spiral" for me...

OT: Agreed with Catboy. I would love to know what wonders await in such a large, mature galaxy.

 

[nukeboy95]

cool

 

[Ace Overclocked]

If there happens to be lifeforms in this galaxy, maybe they would be much more advanced that we do since they probably exist much longer than we did.

 

[gamefan5]

Scientists: It shouldn't exist... THAT GALAXY SHOULD NOT EXIST!!!
Galaxy: *trollface U mad bro?

Scientists: *back to the drawing board.

XD

If we knew eveything about the universe, life would be boring and the term 'scientist' wouldn't even exist.
I'm gonna flip if we discover a source of life form in outer space. XD

 

[KingVamp]

That is spacetacular!

Maybe the next galaxy will be spread across dimensions. Kind of like this.

Spoiler

 

[ShadowSoldier]

This marklar is very cool. Us marklar should try and explore this marklar by building a new marklar. Too bad the marklar we have now can't make it to this marklar. Hell, we aren't even able to explore the marklar that are near our marklar.

 

[Flame]

This thread is waste of space.......



beat that Gahars.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

This is pretty cool. Take that scientists, we still know jack shit about the universe

 

[mrtofu]

deleted

 

[DiscostewSM]

This galaxy is so large, so fully-formed, astronomers say it shouldn't exist at all.

Since when did we have a full understanding of the universe to make such an statement?

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

This galaxy is so large, so fully-formed, astronomers say it shouldn't exist at all.

Since when did we have a full understanding of the universe to make such an statement?

I dunno, I'd argue that you don't necessarily need a full understanding of anything to know when something shouldn't happen. But I suppose scientists could compare the growth of other galaxies around that time frame (or even more) and then compare results. If we've never seen a galaxy grow to such a complex/complete size in only x billion years then I would say it's a rather rare occurrence.

 

[Gahars]

This galaxy is so large, so fully-formed, astronomers say it shouldn't exist at all.

Since when did we have a full understanding of the universe to make such an statement?

I'm guessing from comparing the ages of other "grand design" spiral galaxies at various stages of development.

 

[ShadowFyre]

I bet all the people viewing this thread were thinking the same thing I was when I saw the title; "Shit. Aliens."

 

[BORTZ]

Gahars, when is that paper on star formation due? And mark me down for attendance, I slipped in late for your lecture but I was here for most of it.

 

[gamefan5]

I bet all the people viewing this thread were thinking the same thing I was when I saw the title; "Shit. Aliens."

I think you were the only one. XD

 

[Gahars]

Gahars, when is that paper on star formation due? And mark me down for attendance, I slipped in late for your lecture but I was here for most of it.

Be honest: Were you paying attention, or just spacing out? And really, tardiness? I expect more from my star pupil.


Game, set, match, Flame.

 

[BORTZ]

Gahars, when is that paper on star formation due? And mark me down for attendance, i slipped in late for your lecture but i was here for most of it.

Be honest: Were you paying attention, or just spacing out? And really, tardiness? I expect more from my star pupil.


Game, set, match, Flame.

Sorry I was late. couldn't sleep. I've been dealing with some dark matter after my girlfriend broke up with me last week.



Ill never been as good as you.
Im dying from puns. What a way to go lol