Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
JWST has spotted giant, star-packed galaxies in the early universe that challenge everything we thought we knew about galaxy formation.
The young universe was 10 to 100 times richer in galaxies than expected—revealing a cosmos far busier and more structured than once believed.
These "red monster" galaxies converted 50% of their matter into stars—a rate 500 times higher than the Milky Way, rewriting star formation theories.
Early observations hinted at galaxies too massive to exist—though later recalculations placed them closer, solving part of the mystery.
Representative pic
Scientists are puzzled: How did these galaxies grow so large, so quickly when standard models say they shouldn't exist this early?
Representative pic
One theory suggests that hyperactive black holes compressed nearby gas, turbocharging star formation in these galaxies.
Massive streams of cosmic gas may have funneled huge amounts of fuel into these galaxies, explaining their explosive early growth.
These galaxies may be the seeds of today’s galaxy clusters, meaning JWST is showing us the birthplaces of the largest cosmic structures.
Astronomers admit: We still can’t fully explain these galaxies. More JWST observations and advanced simulations will be needed to rewrite cosmic history.