Before the universe was illuminated with stars, galaxies existed in the dark, before stars had yet formed.
Until now, these ancient galaxies had not been detected. While scanning the sky, astronomers captured the image of a gas-filled primordial galaxy devoid of starlight.
Even the most advanced instruments used to observe the universe before the formation of stars are not sufficient to observe the beginning of the universe.
Our current technology does not extend back to the earliest moments of the universe.
A galaxy devoid of stars and covered with dust was discovered by chance during an observation with the Green Bank Telescope and was named J0613+52.
This coincidentally observed cosmic entity may hold secrets about the first galaxies of our universe.
The discovery suggests the existence of countless, fainter galaxies alongside our Milky Way, like every bright galaxy, and they estimate that the total could reach between six and twenty trillion galaxies, the researchers said.
This discovery points to the need for more in-depth studies to confirm whether the galaxy is devoid of stars.
The confirmation will lead astronomers to ask new questions that will further our understanding of the universe.
