Indian Scientists Discover 12 Billion Year Old Milky Way Like Galaxy in James Webb Telescope Images
The galaxy, named Alaknanda, challenges existing theories on early cosmic evolution with its mature spiral structure and rapid star formation.
Mumbai, Dec 05: Astronomers in India have uncovered a remarkable 12 billion year old galaxy resembling the Milky Way, forcing scientists to rethink how quickly complex structures could form in the early universe.
Early galaxy discovery challenges assumptions
The newly identified galaxy, named Alaknanda after a Himalayan river, existed just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. At a time when the universe was expected to be chaotic and galaxies irregular, Alaknanda shows a fully formed, ordered spiral system, raising questions about the speed of cosmic evolution.
JWST captures a mature spiral structure
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers Rashi Jain and Prof. Yogesh Wadadekar studied 70,000 distant objects before identifying Alaknanda’s clear spiral shape. The galaxy spans nearly 30,000 light years and features two balanced spiral arms wrapping around a bright central bulge, with “beads-on-a-string” star clusters, a feature common in nearby spiral galaxies today.
Prof. Wadadekar described the discovery as initially “impossible,” noting that the galaxy already contains around 10 billion solar masses and built its disc rapidly by cosmic standards. Alaknanda forms stars up to 30 times faster than the Milky Way does today, suggesting early cosmic environments may have been more advanced than previously believed.
Rethinking cosmic evolution
While most early galaxies appeared chaotic and small, Alaknanda shows that spiral structures could emerge far earlier than current models suggest. According to Ms. Jain, such rare exceptions provide crucial insights, showing that the universe was capable of creating complex structures faster than scientists assumed.
Looking to the future
At a distance of 12 billion light-years, the light we see from Alaknanda captures its ancient state, providing a snapshot of early galaxy formation. Researchers plan follow-up observations using JWST and the ALMA Observatory to understand how such spirals formed so quickly and what they reveal about galaxy evolution across cosmic time.
This discovery opens new avenues in understanding the formation and growth of mature galaxies in the early universe, redefining expectations of what the young cosmos could achieve.
