Baby Boom Galaxy
Encyclopedia
The Baby Boom Galaxy is a starburst galaxy
located 12.2 billion
light years
away. Discovered by NASA
's Spitzer Science Center
at the California Institute of Technology
, the galaxy is notable for being the new record holder for the brightest starburst galaxy in the very distant universe
, with brightness being a measure of its extreme star-formation
rate. The Baby Boom Galaxy has been nicknamed "the extreme stellar machine" because it is seen producing star
s at a surprising rate of up to 4,000 per year. The Milky Way galaxy in which we live turns out an average of just 10 stars per year.
s. NASA
's Hubble Space Telescope
and Japan's Subaru Telescope, atop Mauna Kea
in Hawaii, first spotted the galaxy in visible-light
image
s, where it appeared as an inconspicuous smudge due to its great distance. It wasn't until the Spitzer
and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope
, also on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, observed the galaxy at infrared
and submillimeter wavelengths
, respectively, that the galaxy was formally discovered.
). At that rate, the galaxy needs only 50 million years to grow into an equivalent of the most massive galaxy
ever observed. The discovery also challenges the accepted model for galaxy formation
, which has most galaxies slowly bulking up by absorbing pieces of other galaxies, rather than growing internally. Another unusual aspect is the fact that scientists are observing this galaxy
at a time when the universe
was only a little over 1.4 billion years old
, meaning that this galaxy was exhibiting this strange behaviour while the universe was still in its infancy.
"This galaxy is undergoing a major baby boom, producing most of its stars all at once," said Peter Capak of NASA's Spitzer Science Center. "If our human population was produced in a similar boom, then almost all of the people alive today would be the same age."
To that, the principal investigator of the Cosmic Evolution Surveyor, Nick Scoville
of Caltech responded:
"We may be witnessing, for the first time, the formation of one of the most massive elliptical galaxies in the universe."
Starburst galaxy
A starburst galaxy is a galaxy in the process of an exceptionally high rate of star formation, compared to the usual star formation rate seen in most galaxies. Galaxies are often observed to have a burst of star formation after a collision or close encounter between two galaxies...
located 12.2 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
light years
Light Years
Light Years is the seventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released on 25 September 2000 by Parlophone and Mushroom Records. The album's style was indicative of her return to "mainstream pop dance tunes"....
away. Discovered by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Spitzer Science Center
Infrared Processing and Analysis Center
The Infrared Processing and Analysis Center is the NASA science center responsible for the data processing, analysis, and archiving of NASA's infrared astronomy and astrophysics missions...
at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
, the galaxy is notable for being the new record holder for the brightest starburst galaxy in the very distant universe
Shape of the Universe
The shape of the universe is a matter of debate in physical cosmology over the local and global geometry of the universe which considers both curvature and topology, though, strictly speaking, it goes beyond both...
, with brightness being a measure of its extreme star-formation
Star formation
Star formation is the process by which dense parts of molecular clouds collapse into a ball of plasma to form a star. As a branch of astronomy star formation includes the study of the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds as precursors to the star formation process and the study of young...
rate. The Baby Boom Galaxy has been nicknamed "the extreme stellar machine" because it is seen producing star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s at a surprising rate of up to 4,000 per year. The Milky Way galaxy in which we live turns out an average of just 10 stars per year.
Discovery
The Baby Boom Galaxy was discovered and characterized in 2008 using a suite of telescopes operating at different wavelengthWavelength
In physics, the wavelength of a sinusoidal wave is the spatial period of the wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats.It is usually determined by considering the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase, such as crests, troughs, or zero crossings, and is a...
s. NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
and Japan's Subaru Telescope, atop Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over tall—significantly taller than Mount Everest...
in Hawaii, first spotted the galaxy in visible-light
Visible spectrum
The visible spectrum is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation in this range of wavelengths is called visible light or simply light. A typical human eye will respond to wavelengths from about 390 to 750 nm. In terms of...
image
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
s, where it appeared as an inconspicuous smudge due to its great distance. It wasn't until the Spitzer
Spitzer Space Telescope
The Spitzer Space Telescope , formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility is an infrared space observatory launched in 2003...
and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope
James Clerk Maxwell Telescope
The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope is a submillimetre-wavelength telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii. Its primary mirror is 15 metres across: it is the largest astronomical telescope that operates in submillimetre wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum...
, also on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, observed the galaxy at infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
and submillimeter wavelengths
Submillimeter Array
The Submillimeter Array consists of eight diameter radio telescopes arranged as an interferometer for submillimeter wavelength observations. It is the first purpose-built submillimeter interferometer, constructed after successful interferometry experiments using the pre-existing James Clerk...
, respectively, that the galaxy was formally discovered.
Strange behavior
The Baby Boom Galaxy is so named because it generates over 4,000 stars per year (compared to an average of just 10 per year for the Milky WayMilky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
). At that rate, the galaxy needs only 50 million years to grow into an equivalent of the most massive galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
ever observed. The discovery also challenges the accepted model for galaxy formation
Galaxy formation and evolution
The study of galaxy formation and evolution is concerned with the processes that formed a heterogeneous universe from a homogeneous beginning, the formation of the first galaxies, the way galaxies change over time, and the processes that have generated the variety of structures observed in nearby...
, which has most galaxies slowly bulking up by absorbing pieces of other galaxies, rather than growing internally. Another unusual aspect is the fact that scientists are observing this galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
at a time when the universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
was only a little over 1.4 billion years old
Age of the universe
The age of the universe is the time elapsed since the Big Bang posited by the most widely accepted scientific model of cosmology. The best current estimate of the age of the universe is 13.75 ± 0.13 billion years within the Lambda-CDM concordance model...
, meaning that this galaxy was exhibiting this strange behaviour while the universe was still in its infancy.
"This galaxy is undergoing a major baby boom, producing most of its stars all at once," said Peter Capak of NASA's Spitzer Science Center. "If our human population was produced in a similar boom, then almost all of the people alive today would be the same age."
To that, the principal investigator of the Cosmic Evolution Surveyor, Nick Scoville
Nick Scoville
Nick Scoville is the Francis L. Moseley Professor of Astronomy at Caltech and departmental chair.His research interests include interstellar molecular clouds, the star formation which occurs in these clouds, interacting ultraluminous-infrared galaxies and active galactic nuclei. His main hobby...
of Caltech responded:
"We may be witnessing, for the first time, the formation of one of the most massive elliptical galaxies in the universe."