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A map of the older Universe helped reveal thousands of unknown or early galaxies.
BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Given how vast and ever-expanding our Universe is, it’s unlikely we’ll ever have a 100% complete understanding of everything that’s out there. Even so, some scientists are hoping to give us a better idea.
One way of doing so is by creating a large-scale map of the old Universe. This never before seen view is also pointing out the possible existence of thousands of previously unknown early galaxies.
Map of the Universe Charts Thousands of Unknown Early Galaxies
At Lancaster University, Dr. David Sobral and his team put together a large-scale map of the Universe as it may have looked between 11 and 13 billion years ago. They did so by using observational data collected over numerous past studies. The Isaac Newton and Subaru Telescopes were also used to chart their progress.
The result was the discovery of nearly 4,000 unknown or early galaxies. Given how distant these galaxies were, any light shining from them that allows us to see where they’re located would be billions of years old by the time it reached Earth or came within the range of our telescopes.
As a result, this map of the Universe had no choice but to be somewhat outdated in terms of what it charts. This may actually be preferable to one only outlining newer fixtures, however.
This is because being able to observe so many ancient galaxies could benefit our understanding of the Universe as a whole. Using special camera filters, the researchers were able to divide the Universe they observed into 16 distinct epochs. In doing so, they were able to literally research it at different times.
Thousands of new galaxies were discovered this way. Also, all of them were seen to originate shortly after the Big Bang. Researching these galaxies will no doubt lead to many new discoveries regarding how the Universe formed.
It may also help better understand the differences between these older galaxies and our own. This map has only scratched the surface of what’s been uncovered so far. So there’s no telling just what these discoveries will reveal to us in the future.
Current research findings were published in two separate papers, both released in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Image Source: Wikimedia
