Cosmic Fire Dragon: Astronomers discover a twin of the Milky Way

April 18,TG盗号系统黑产免杀技术 2025  22:42

Astronomers from the University of Geneva have made a discovery that reshapes our understanding of the cosmos: deep in the Universe, at the dawn of its existence, they found a galaxy named Zhúlóng—a striking doppelgänger of the Milky Way. Dubbed after the Chinese “Fire Dragon,” this galaxy challenges theories about galactic formation and forces scientists to rethink how starry worlds came to be. Uncovered through the James Webb Space Telescope, this find is a new key to the Universe’s history.

Zhúlóng: A Mirror of Our Galaxy

Zhúlóng is so distant that its light has traveled billions of years to reach us, offering a glimpse of the Universe in its youth. Yet, instead of a chaotic proto-galaxy, scientists saw a mature spiral structure eerily similar to the Milky Way:

• Size: Its disk spans 60,000 light-years, matching our galaxy’s breadth.
• Mass: Over 100 billion solar masses of stars, comparable to the Milky Way.
• Structure: Distinct spiral arms, a star-forming disk, and a dense core.

“It’s like finding a copy of your home in another era. Zhúlóng is a rare example of a galaxy forming so early and so much like ours,” says Dr. Mengyuan Xiao, the study’s lead author.

Typically, in the early Universe (1–2 billion years after the Big Bang), galaxies were messy clumps of gas. Zhúlóng’s “adult” appearance raises a question: how did it achieve such maturity so quickly?

How Was the Twin Found?

The discovery emerged from the PANORAMIC program, which leverages the James Webb Telescope’s parallel observations. While the telescope focuses on a primary target, its instruments capture data from other sky patches, catching rare gems. Zhúlóng came into view thanks to infrared cameras that pierced cosmic dust to reveal its spirals. It’s like finding a pearl in an ocean—a serendipitous breakthrough.

“Finds like this are game-changers. Zhúlóng is forcing us to rewrite the textbooks on galaxy formation,” says Professor Pascal Oesch, a co-author of the program.

What Does It Mean for Science?

Zhúlóng debunks the notion that spiral galaxies form slowly over billions of years through mergers. Its maturity suggests some galaxies assembled faster, perhaps from massive gas clouds collapsing under their own gravity. This discovery:

• Reshapes Cosmology: Models like ΛCDM must account for such anomalies.
• Illuminates the Milky Way: Studying Zhúlóng could reveal what our galaxy looked like in its youth.
• Expands Horizons: If spirals were common early on, habitable worlds might be more plentiful than thought.

Why It Captivates Us

The Milky Way is our cosmic home, and finding its twin feels like meeting a long-lost relative. Zhúlóng shows the Universe was more diverse than we imagined, even in its infancy. It inspires not just scientists but dreamers: if such galaxies existed billions of years ago, how many stars and planets might have formed within them? From Tokyo to São Paulo, people are gazing at the stars with renewed wonder.

What’s Next?

Researchers plan to study Zhúlóng further with Webb and the ALMA radio telescope to pinpoint its composition, star-formation rate, and age. This will clarify whether it was an outlier or the norm. Future PANORAMIC surveys may uncover more “dragons,” revealing how the Universe wove its starry tapestry.

Zhúlóng isn’t just a galaxy—it’s a mirror reflecting the Milky Way’s childhood. Its spirals, born in the young Universe, remind us: the cosmos is full of surprises, each bringing us closer to understanding our place in it. As Webb hunts for more twins, we wonder: how many “Fire Dragons” await in the starry expanse?