300 Mysterious Objects of Unknown Origin Discovered in Space

Scientists from the University of Missouri have discovered 300 unusually bright objects in the Universe that may be some of the earliest galaxies. The research is based on infrared images obtained using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope. The work is published in the journal The Astrophysical Journal (AstroJournal).

"If even some of these objects turn out to be truly early galaxies, it could change our understanding of how galaxies formed in the early Universe," noted astronomy professor Haojing Yan.

The search used the so-called dropout technique - a method in which candidates for distant galaxies are identified by being visible in red wavelengths but "disappearing" in bluer ones. This is related to the Lyman break effect: ultraviolet light from such objects is absorbed by intergalactic hydrogen, and due to redshift, this feature shifts to the infrared region of the spectrum.

To refine the parameters, scientists applied the spectral energy distribution fitting method, which allows estimating approximate redshifts, age, and mass of objects even without spectroscopy. However, final confirmation is only possible through spectroscopic observations, which will provide the exact "signature" of each galaxy.

One of the objects has already been confirmed as an early Universe galaxy, but the authors emphasize that additional data is needed.

"Even a few such confirmations will force us to reconsider existing theories of galaxy formation," added Yan.