Quasars Reveal Early Structure of Milky Way-Like Galaxies
Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a large radio observatory in Chile, researchers have taken "baby pictures" of Milky Way-like galaxies when their star formation was just beginning to accelerate. Looking at two of the ancient galaxies in infrared wavelengths, the researchers saw that very early in the galaxies' development, they had what look like extended discs of hydrogen gas that far outpaced the smaller, star-forming regions within. Officially designated ALMA J081740.86+135138.2 and ALMA J120110.26+211756.2, the galaxies were observed using light from two quasars in the background.
