Galaxy XMM-VID1-2075 is found non-rotating in the early universe
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · May 7
Galaxy XMM-VID1-2075 is found non-rotating in the early universe
12 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · May 7
Observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, the massive galaxy formed under two billion years after the Big Bang and already contains several times as many stars as the Milky Way.
Lead author Ben Forrest said Webb tracked internal motions in three ancient galaxies, finding one rotating, one irregular and XMM-VID1-2075 dominated by random stellar motion despite no new star formation.
The Nature Astronomy study challenges models that young galaxies should spin, and researchers suspect a major merger may have cancelled rotation; they are now searching for more such rare systems.
How did a massive galaxy just after the Big Bang lose its spin, defying our fundamental theories of cosmic evolution?
Could a radical theory of time flowing differently in deep gravity explain this ancient galaxy's impossible maturity and stillness?
Discovery of a Massive, Non-Rotating Galaxy 1.8 Billion Years After the Big Bang Challenges Galaxy Formation Models
Overview
In May 2024, astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope discovered a massive, compact galaxy named XMM-VID1-2075, existing just 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang. Remarkably, this galaxy shows no significant rotation and has almost stopped forming stars, making it a rare 'dead' slow rotator so early in the universe. Observations revealed a large excess of light on one side, indicating a past head-on collision between two counter-rotating galaxies. This violent merger likely canceled the galaxy's spin and quenched star formation, challenging existing theories of galaxy evolution by showing that massive, non-rotating galaxies could form and evolve much faster than previously thought.