Indian scientists discover ancient spiral galaxy resembling Milky Way

A team of Indian scientists has made a groundbreaking astronomical discovery by identifying a giant spiral galaxy that dates back to the universe's infancy. Reported by The Indian Express on Wednesday, the galaxy, named Alaknanda after a Himalayan river, is located an immense 12 billion light-years away. It existed when the cosmos was merely about 1.5 billion years old, presenting a striking and unexpected sight reminiscent of our own Milky Way.

Galaxy Structure Challenges Existing Models

The discovery directly challenges current astrophysical models of early galaxy formation. Researchers, including Rashi Jain from the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, noted that Alaknanda possesses a "textbook spiral structure" with two distinct arms winding around a bright central core, spanning roughly 30,000 light-years in diameter. This level of order was previously thought impossible so soon after the Big Bang, as scientists believed the earliest galaxies were chaotic, clumpy, and turbulent.

Implications for Understanding Cosmic Evolution

"Finding such a well-formed spiral galaxy at this early epoch is quite unexpected," Jain emphasized. "It tells us that sophisticated structures were being built in our universe much earlier than we thought possible." The finding suggests that the processes leading to the orderly, rotating disk structures of mature galaxies like the Milky Way began operating far sooner in cosmic history than previously estimated, forcing a revision of galactic evolution timelines.

Global Scientific Context and Türkiye's Role

This significant contribution by Indian researchers underscores the global and collaborative nature of modern astronomy. For nations like Türkiye, which is investing in its own astronomical capabilities with projects like the Eastern Anatolia Observatory (DAG) telescope, such discoveries highlight the importance of supporting fundamental scientific research to expand our understanding of the universe and inspire future generations of scientists.