Baby Galaxies Discovered

Tombstone · Post by **Tombstone** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 5:32 pm

A NASA spacecraft has detected three dozen "massive, baby galaxies" forming relatively close to our own Milky Way, scientists announced Tuesday.

Using the sensitive ultraviolet detectors on the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, astronomers have unearthed three-dozen bright, compact galaxies that greatly resemble the youthful galaxies of more than 10 billions years ago. These new galaxies are relatively close to us, ranging from two to four billion light-years away. They may be as young as 100 million to one billion years old. The Milky Way is approximately 10 billion years old.

The recent discovery suggests our aging universe is still alive with youth. It also offers astronomers their first, close-up glimpse at what our galaxy probably looked like when it was in its infancy.

The new discoveries are of a type called ultraviolet luminous galaxies. They were discovered after the Galaxy Evolution Explorer scanned a large portion of the sky with its highly sensitive ultraviolet light detectors.

anastrophe · Post by **anastrophe** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:17 pm

Tombstone wrote: astronomers have unearthed three-dozen bright, compact galaxies i just love that turn of phrase - unearthing galaxies. :yh_silly