Astronomers have discovered REBELS-25, the most distant galaxy resembling the Milky Way, dating back to just 700 million years after the Big Bang.

This disc galaxy possesses an unexpectedly orderly structure, contrasting with traditional theories that suggest early galaxies should be chaotic and less organized.

The findings, made using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), challenge existing models of galaxy formation, which assume that smoothing processes take billions of years.

REBELS-25’s strong rotational structure suggests that galaxies may evolve more rapidly than previously thought, prompting a reevaluation of how and when galaxies transition from chaotic early forms to the more organized structures we observe today, as reported by SciTechDaily.

The study is set for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Written by Emily Begley