and astrophysics at Penn State, and co-author of the study said,“These objects are way more massive​ than anyone expected, we expected only to find tiny, young, baby galaxies at this point in time, but we’ve discovered galaxies as mature as our own in what was previously understood to be the dawn of the universe.” 

Erica Nelson, assistant professor of astrophysics and co-author of the new research, stated in an interview with CU Boulder, “It’s bananas. You just don’t expect the early universe to be able to organize itself that quickly. These galaxies should not have had time to form.” These galaxies are so enormous that they contradict the majority of all modern cosmological theories for the formation of galaxies and star systems. “The revelation that massive galaxy formation began extremely early in the history of the universe upends what many of us had thought was settled science,” said Leja. “We’ve been informally calling these objects ‘universe breakers’ — and they have been living up to their name so far.”

However, the team’s findings have yet to be cross-examined. The international team of astrophysicists is currently taking spectrum images of the six gigantic galaxies which would provide them with solid evidence on the true distances of the galaxies, and also the gasses and other elements that compose the galaxy. The team would then ultimately use the data from the spectrum images to construct a clear enough depiction of what the galaxies looked like, and how truly massive they were. “A spectrum will immediately tell us whether or not these things are real,” Leja said. “It will show us how big they are, how far away they are. What’s funny is we have all these things we hope to learn from James Webb and this was nowhere near the top of the list. We’ve found something we never thought to ask the universe — and it happened way faster than I thought, but here we are.” If the findings from the study are proved to be correct, the fields of Astronomy and Cosmology, and, quite frankly, our whole understanding of galaxies would face a fundamental shift.

In addition, there are other interpretations to the data posted from the study. “This is our first glimpse back this far, so it's important that we keep an open mind about what we are seeing,” Leja stated. “While the data indicates they are likely galaxies, I think there is a real possibility that a few of these objects turn out to be obscured supermassive black holes.” Black holes are formed from the death of high mass stars, and they are regions of spacetime where the gravitational pull is so strong that not even light can escape. Black holes are believed to be in the center of every galaxy. Joel Leja is not alone in believing in the thought that these galaxies are actually supermassive black holes. In an interview with NBC News about the findings, Dr. Michio Kaku, a theoretical physicist, stated “...I, personally, think that these are not baby galaxies at all…We are actually looking at monstrous black holes, where perhaps new laws of physics are emerging.” These black holes could have over time amounted large amounts of dust and particles, causing the formation of an accretion disk which overtime coalesced into a galaxy. This would then answer the long standing astrophysics question: what came first in galaxy formation, the collection of stars or the black hole? The answer would be the black hole. With all of these possible new findings, according to Dr. Michio Kaku, “... we realize we are going to have to rewrite all the textbooks about the beginning of the universe.” 

Works cited

Berard, Adrienne. “Discovery of Massive Early Galaxies Defies Prior Understanding of the Universe.” Penn State. Accessed 22 Feb. 2023.

Grossman, Lisa. “The James Webb Telescope Found Six Galaxies That May Be Too Hefty for Their Age.” Sciencenews.com. Accessed 22 Feb. 2023.

Strain, Daniel. “Webb Telescope Spots Super Old, Massive Galaxies That Shouldn’t Exist.” University of Colorado Boulder. Accessed 22 Feb. 2023.