A curious face in the cosmos has captured attention. Dubbed the "Cosmic Owl," this celestial sight features two ring galaxies in collision, spotted using JWST.
A Rare Sight from Billions of Light-Years Away
Researchers analysing Webb Telescope data recently found a rare galactic duo. Together, the galaxies form an owl-like structure about 11 billion light-years away. The formation resembles a face with two bright "eyes" and a faint "beak."
The owl shape was discovered in the COSMOS field, a deep-sky region studied widely. Mingyu Li from Tsinghua University said the unusual feature stood out immediately. Each ring galaxy is around 26,000 light-years wide—just a fraction of the Milky Way's size.
The galactic cores act as the owl’s eyes. Both host black holes are over 10 million times heavier than the Sun. These black holes are pulling in nearby material, making their centres active and bright.
Galaxies Collide to Spark New Stars
The two galaxies crashed millions of years ago. Their collision formed a dense cloud of gas in the centre—the "beak." According to Li, this region now hosts rapid star formation, triggered by shockwaves and jets from one galaxy’s black hole.
This ongoing activity was confirmed using the ALMA observatory in Chile. Additional data from the Very Large Array in New Mexico supported the discovery. Scientists say a jet of particles from one galaxy is compressing gas further, boosting star birth.
This rare twin-ring structure is likely to last for millions of years. It’s also helping researchers better understand how galaxies evolve and grow. Simulations suggest the galaxies collided 38 million years ago, but their striking face remains intact.
Cosmic Owl Offers New Clues to Galaxy Formation
Astronomers believe the owl offers insight into star formation in the early universe. The data suggests that galactic collisions may help form stars faster than previously thought. Understanding this could explain how early galaxies built their stellar mass so quickly.
Li and his team hope to run more simulations soon. These will help reveal how angle, shape, and structure triggered the owl’s near-perfect symmetry.
The owl joins other strange finds from the James Webb Space Telescope. Past sightings include a question mark in deep space and a gas wisp shaped like a cat’s tail.
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