Latest discovery revealed that galaxies are actually capable of changing their construction over the progression of their lifetime. A group of astronomers, led by the School of Physics and Astronomy at the Cardiff University, has been observing the skies through the Hubble and Herschel telescopes. Their research show that a large portion of the galaxies of the universe have experienced a foremost metamorphosis since it was first formed following the Big Bang theory millions of years ago.
They have found that 83 percent of all stars formed, as a result of the Big Bang theory, were disc in shape; however, today, only 49 percent remained in shape, the rest are now in oval form.
Professor Steve Eales, from the University's School of Physics and Astronomy, said it was the first time this "metamorphosis" had been accurately measured.
"Galaxies are the basic building blocks of the universe, so this metamorphosis really does represent one of the most significant changes in its appearance and properties in the last eight billion years," he added.
By this new discovery, the group was able to show the first direct evidence that there is a transformation to some degree. The group hopes to shed more light on what could be the cause of these changes, and gain not just the appearance but also the make of the present-day Universe.
Findings of the study were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the group was able to observe about 10,000 galaxies in the universe, they were also able to classify galaxies mainly into two types: flat, rotating, disc shaped galaxies (like our very own Milky Way; and large, spherical galaxies with a blanket of disordered stars.
A current theory believes this alteration was produced by several cosmic disasters, where two galaxies dominated by discs drift closely together by the force of gravity into a solitary galaxy; and with the union, extinguishing the discs and creating an enormous collision of stars. On the contrary, another theory says the makeover was a more calm procedure, with stars shaped in a disc progressively moving toward the center of a disc, creating a central collision of stars.
Photo: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | Flickr
