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Scientists think all galaxy clusters form in the same way. They gather in growing groups over time and sometimes merge to form giant galaxies. Watching this happen at all ages of the universe helps to test theories of how the universe evolved. Galaxy clusters closer to Earth are known to contain more than a 1,000 galaxies. Our own galaxy belongs to what's called the Local Group, which contains at least 35 galaxies, most of which are very dim. "We believe LBG-2377 is a seed that eventually will grow into a massive galaxy cluster," said James Bullock, one of the study's co-authors and the director of the Center for Cosmology at UCI. Other astronomers agree and are anxious to learn more about LBG-2377. "It's very rare," said astronomer Alice Shapley of Princeton University. "If you look at the spectra of this object and its picture it breaks up into a lot of pieces." But looking at LBG-2377 in UV and visible light is not telling the whole story, Shapley said. In order to properly compare this ancient merger to modern mergers and galaxies, it needs to be studied in other wavelengths. That way the light of older stars -- which don't emit much UV light -- can also be accounted for. "It will be interesting to use the Hubble Space Telescope to look at it," said Shapley. Related Links : |
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