The universe is vast, mysterious and still full of secrets waiting to be uncovered. Every time scientists look deeper into space, they learn something new about how galaxies, stars and planets are born. Sometimes, these discoveries challenge what we already know and push science to think again. Recently, such a moment came when Indian scientists spotted something extraordinary far beyond our Milky Way – Alaknanda. Know all about the Alaknanda galaxy with The Junior Age!
Indian scientists discover – Alaknanda galaxy from early universe:
Indian astronomer Rashi Jain and Professor Yogesh Wadadekar from the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics in Pune have found a brand-new galaxy, named Alaknanda, using data from the powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). What makes this galaxy totally astonishing is its age and shape. Alaknanda formed when the universe was only about 1.5 billion years old, yet it already has well-defined spiral arms similar to our Milky Way.
This incredible galaxy lies around 12 billion light-years from Earth, meaning the light we see today left the galaxy billions of years ago.
What makes this galaxy special?
Most early galaxies are messy and irregular. They are still forming stars and settling into shape. However, this newly discovered galaxy already shows clear spiral arms and a bright centre. That makes it one of the earliest known spiral galaxies ever observed. It is also producing stars at a very fast rate. This tells scientists that star formation in the early universe may have been far more efficient than earlier theories suggested.
This discovery has now been published in the European journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, and it’s already reshaping how researchers think about the early universe and galaxy formation. Indian scientists are now playing a key role in studying how galaxies evolve, how stars form and how the universe grew after the Big Bang. This finding makes scientists to rethink how quickly galaxies can take shape. It also proves the importance of modern telescopes and global collaboration in space research.
Did you know?
The name Alaknanda comes from a Himalayan river and is symbolically linked with the Milky Way’s traditional name in Indian culture.
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