I Zwicky 18: A Baby Galaxy in a Grown-Up Universe
NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope snapped a view of what may be the youngest galaxy ever seen. This "late bloomer" may not have begun active star formation until about 13 billion years after the Big Bang. Called I Zwicky 18 [below, left], the galaxy may be as young as 500 million years old. This youngster has gone though several sudden bursts of star formation - the first only some 500 million years ago and the latest only 4 million years ago. This galaxy is typical of the kinds of galaxies that inhabited the early universe. The galaxy is classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy and is much smaller than our Milky Way.
Credit:
About the Image
NASA press release
NASA caption
NASA caption
| Id: | opo0435a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 1 December 2004, 06:01 |
| Size: | 981 x 961 px |
About the Object
| Name: | I Zw 18 |
| Type: | • Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Irregular • Local Universe : Galaxy : Size : Dwarf • Galaxies Images/Videos |
| Distance: | 60 million light years |
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
| Optical V |
555 nm | Hubble Space Telescope ACS |
| Infrared I |
814 nm | Hubble Space Telescope ACS |
