Cosmic Vine : Extensive Galaxy Structure
A team of researchers recently identified an extensive galaxy structure named “Cosmic Vine”
- According to the study, the Cosmic Vine was spotted after poring over data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), humanity’s most powerful tool for peering into the far reaches of space and time.
- Cosmic Vine is a massive “vine-like structure” that encompasses 20 galaxies and stretches for over 13 light years.
- It’s also very ancient.
- The researchers pegged it at redshift 3.44, meaning it’s situated in the early universe.
- A redshift of 3.44would mean light from the Cosmic Vine has been traveling for between 11 and 12 billion years before reaching JWST.
- It harbours two of the most massive galaxies ever discovered at such a high redshift—Galaxy A and Galaxy E, both in a quiescent state, indicating a reduced rate of star formation.
- Researchers believe that the Vine might serve as the precursor to a galaxy cluster, providing insights into the formation of such clusters and the emergence of massive galaxies within them.
