(Image: NASA/CSA/ESA/James Webb)

An unprecedented discovery has shaken the foundations of cosmology. An international team of astronomers, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), has detected three colossal galaxies hidden in the first billion years of the universe. Nicknamed the “red monsters,” these galaxies are unusually massive and challenge current theories of galactic formation and evolution.

An unexpected discovery in the early universe

The study, published in the prestigious journal Nature, reveals that these three galaxies existed when the universe was less than 10% of its current age. However, what surprises scientists most is its size and stellar density. According to current models, they should not have had enough time to grow to these dimensions in such a young universe.

The researchers used JWST’s NIRCam/grism spectrograph to precisely measure their distances and calculate their masses. The results show that each of these galaxies has a mass comparable to that of the Milky Way, but formed stars at a rate up to 500 times faster than expected.

The existence of these “monster galaxies” could indicate that theories about the evolution of the universe need to be revised. Current models suggest that the formation of such massive structures should have taken billions of years, not just a few hundred million.

The role of the James Webb telescope

The JWST has allowed scientists to observe the universe with unprecedented clarity. Thanks to its ability to detect infrared light, it has managed to penetrate the cosmic dust that obscures these galaxies, revealing their true nature.

This discovery could usher in a new era in understanding the early universe, forcing astronomers to reconsider the early stages of the cosmos and how its first structures formed. Now, the big question is: what other surprises does the universe have in store for us?