CLG J02182-05102 - Galaxy Cluster's Modern Appearance Surprises Experts
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - 12:40
in Paleontology & Archaeology
A Texas A&M University-led team of astronomers has uncovered what may be the earliest, most distant cluster of galaxies ever detected. The group of roughly 60 galaxies, called CLG J02182-05102, is nearly 10 billion years old — born just 4 billion years after the Big Bang. However, it's not the size nor the age of the cluster that astronomers find amazing. Rather, it's the surprisingly modern appearance of CLG J02182-05102 that has them baffled — a huge, red collection of galaxies typical of only present-day galaxies. "It's like we dug an archaeological site in Rome and found pieces of modern Rome amongst the ruins," explains Dr. Casey Papovich, an assistant professor in the Texas A&M Department of Physics and Astronomy. read more