Astronomers have seen stars form. Many stars are in different phases of their evolutionary cycle. However, there are relatively few galaxies that have been seen in different phases of evolution. Astronomers thought it might have something new to study, as a giant galaxy is seen forming from molecular gas.
A cluster of protogalaxies is being observed by astronomers. At the center of the cluster, it has been noticed that a giant galaxy is being formed. This forming giant galaxy is made up of molecular gas that comes from the cluster.
That is the noticeable difference in the cluster, as explained by Bjorn Emonts of the Center for Astrobiology in Spain. Other galaxies are formed by taking material from nearby galaxies, but the galaxy that is being formed in the cluster is being fed by the molecular gas in the cluster.
The cluster that is being studied is the Spiderweb Galaxy, which is really a cluster of galaxies that are still in the process of formation. The cluster is about 10 billion light-years from the Earth. It is surmised that the object might be at a time when the universe was still around 3 billion years old.
To study the cluster, the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and the Very Large Array (VLA) were used. Carbon monoxide gas has been detected to be in a large amount in the cluster, and it is also speculated that there is much hydrogen as well. The molecular gas is said to be about 100 billion times the mass of the Sun, according to Science Daily. The gas is also cold, which is the same used to create stars.
The gas has been the product of many supernovas. However, the gas has been found to be between the galaxies and not in them, as Phys Org reports. Presanth Jagganathan of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) said the system is huge, with the molecular gas by itself being three times the size of the Milky Way. He further said that the system might eventually collapse into a single, massive galaxy.
A large cluster of protogalaxies has been observed. This cluster has a giant galaxy forming from molecular gas. Also, an eye-shaped galaxy has been observed, which is said to be a result of two galaxies colliding.
