Researchers from the European Space Agency have used two of their space telescopes to uncover a treasure chest of sorts in the form of ancient galaxy clusters that could reveal how the universe evolved and came about through billions of years.

This new study details how astronomers used the ESA's Planck space observatory to identify these distant galaxy clusters that could be the precursors to the universe. After identifying them, data was then transferred to the Herschel telescope for scientists to have a more in depth look.

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According to lead author Hervé Dole of the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale in France, this has been a huge surprise to find so many intense star forming, dusty galaxies that could be an important missing piece in stellar structure formation.

Planck detected this treasure trove of baby galaxy clusters but it was Herschel data that allowed scientists and astronomers to examine closely the composition of each of these galaxy clusters that revealed its origins.

This step is pivotal in further understanding the early beginnings of the universe. Experts believe it took millions of years for stars and galaxies to acquire the energy to assemble into giant clusters.

When these clusters were formed, their powerful gravitational forces triggered a new generation of stars and galaxies. Scientists believe dark matter, which is the invisible force that makes-up most of the mass of the universe, helped these stars develop and flourish into the process of star formation but it's still an enigma as to how these large clusters assembled together.

Looking back at some of the compositions of the oldest galaxy clusters, scientists estimate that they date back to 11 billion years ago.

According to Dole, there's still a lot to learn from this new star population, as these kinds of cosmic objects have been detected in earlier data from Herschel and other telescopes, but Planck's all-sky capability has now revealed more candidates for further study.

This study was published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.  

TagsAstronomers Find Baby Galaxy Clusters that Reveals Dark Matter at Work, ESA, planck telescope, herschel telescope, baby galaxy clusters, dark matter, baby galaxy clusters ancient formations structures