NASA Telescope Makes an Unusual Observation Challenging the Fact That Galaxies Rotate in Different Directions

Researchers have gained a lot of insights regarding the universe due to several recent developments. One of the most prominent advancements that has occurred in astronomical research is the advent of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Experts have noted a significant phenomenon in space due to images captured by JWST, stated phys.org. Findings regarding this phenomenon have been published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 

The study claims that the majority of the galaxies rotate in the same direction. According to the estimates made by the team through the data garnered by JWST, around two-thirds of the galaxies exhibit clockwise rotation, while only a third showcased counterclockwise rotation. The examination focussed on 263 galaxies in the JADES field, that were captured by JWST. Those galaxies were chosen as subjects because their direction of rotation was clearly decipherable from the pictures.

Researchers claimed that the quality of visuals produced by JWST makes the rotation direction evident at first glance. However, to verify their observations the experts examined their shapes. "The analysis of the galaxies was done by quantitative analysis of their shapes, but the difference is so obvious that any person looking at the image can see it," Lior Shamir, associate professor of computer science at the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering said. "There is no need for special skills or knowledge to see that the numbers are different. With the power of the James Webb Space Telescope, anyone can see it."

The finding was surprising because as per past assertions, a random universe should have half the galaxies rotate in one direction, while the other half should be rotating in the opposite direction. JWST clearly showcases that this is not the case, as more galaxies exhibit clockwise motion. Researchers have yet to understand the exact cause of this phenomenon, but they have some theories. "It is still not clear what causes this to happen, but there are two primary possible explanations," Shamir said. "One explanation is that the universe was born rotating. That explanation agrees with theories such as black hole cosmology, which postulates that the entire universe is the interior of a black hole. But if the universe was indeed born rotating it means that the existing theories about the cosmos are incomplete."

Another speculation is that the Doppler Shift effect is causing an overrepresentation of galaxies moving in the clockwise direction for researchers. The earth rotates around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, and due to the Doppler Shift effect, there is a possibility that the light coming from galaxies rotating in the opposite direction is brighter compared to the others. Experts have been aware of this possibility, but have never considered it even in other estimates because the Milky Way's rotational velocity was considered to be too slow to make a meaningful impact. "If that is indeed the case, we will need to re-calibrate our distance measurements for the deep universe," Shamir said.

If the impact of rotational velocity is proven to be meaningful, then will aid researchers in solving other pursuits related to space. "The re-calibration of distance measurements can also explain several other unsolved questions in cosmology, such as the differences in the expansion rates of the universe and the large galaxies that, according to the existing distance measurements, are expected to be older than the universe itself," Shamir added.