A recent study utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has unveiled that the initial galaxies formed in the universe were far more chaotic and gas-rich than previously thought. Researchers from the University of Cambridge examined over 250 young galaxies that existed between 800 million and 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, revealing a turbulent cosmic landscape.
Instead of exhibiting graceful spiral shapes or structured disks, the early galaxies were found to be clumpy and filled with energy. The findings, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, indicate that these young galaxies were unstable and disordered, with dense clouds of gas and nascent stars moving in various directions.
“This is the first time we”ve been able to look at an entire population at once,” stated Lola Danhaive, the lead author from Cambridge”s Kavli Institute for Cosmology. “We found huge variation: some galaxies are starting to rotate in an ordered way, but most are still chaotic, with gas puffed up and moving in all directions.”
The research challenges previous assertions that large, well-organized disks formed early in the universe”s history. It posits that galaxies gradually evolved from these chaotic beginnings into more stable structures through processes like mergers, starbursts, and turbulent gas flows. “By looking at hundreds of smaller galaxies, we see a much clearer, theory-consistent picture,” explained Dr. Sandro Tacchella of Cambridge”s Cavendish Laboratory. “Early galaxies were messy and dynamic — growing through collisions and bursts of star formation.”
These discoveries help bridge a significant gap in our understanding of cosmic history, linking the epoch of reionization — when the universe”s first stars ignited — to the later period known as “cosmic noon,” marked by peak star formation activity. As the JWST continues its extensive surveys, astronomers aim to integrate this data with studies of cold gas and dust to trace the evolution of early galaxies into the structured spirals observed today.
“This is just the beginning,” Tacchella remarked. “Webb is letting us witness galaxy formation in real time — from chaos to cosmic order.”
