Even though our universe is outdated, chilly, and properly previous its prime, it’s not achieved making new galaxies but.
Galaxy formation first acquired began when our universe was just a few hundred million years outdated. In these darkish ages the primary stars gathered sufficient materials to set off nuclear fusion and ignite. Slowly over time these clumps of stars discovered one another and started to construct the primary younger protogalaxies.
Over time these protogalaxies collected extra materials and merged collectively to rapidly develop to change into the large galaxies that sprinkle all through the universe in the present day.
However galaxies are greater than clumps of stars and fuel. They’re additionally deep wells of darkish matter, which is the invisible substance that makes up the many of the mass of each object within the universe. To make a galaxy you actually begin with an accumulation of darkish matter. That kinds the gravitational bedrock for regular matter to assemble onto and begin forming stars.
The buildup of darkish matter actually solely occurred within the very early universe, and way back shut off. However these concentrations of darkish matter stay in the present day. Proof from simulations and observations tells us that standard matter continues to be discovering these pockets and triggering contemporary rounds of star formation. Meaning whereas the seeds of galaxies have been solely laid down as soon as, new accumulations of matter are nonetheless lighting up within the current day cosmos.
It’s true that we’re properly previous the height of star formation and the heyday of galaxy meeting. That epoch got here and went over 10 billion years in the past. And much into the longer term our universe will develop a lot that this course of will decelerate and ultimately cease. However the universe isn’t achieved but. For now, we are able to nonetheless get pleasure from a universe filled with galaxies and realizing that new ones are nonetheless approaching the scene.
