Astronomers spy the oldest known spiral galaxy

Zhúlóng: The Most Distant Spiral Galaxy Discovered to Date

Zhúlóng: The Most Distant Spiral Galaxy Discovered to Date | NOIRLabThe image of Zhúlóng, the most distant spiral galaxy discovered to date. It has remarkably well-defined spiral arms, a central old bulge, and a large star-forming disk, resembling the structure of the Milky Way.This image of Zhúlóng, the most distant spiral galaxy discovered to date, shows its remarkably well-defined spiral arms, a central old bulge, and a large star-forming dis…

Astronomers spy the oldest known spiral galaxy

If we could see our home galaxy the Milky Way as it was in the early universe, what would it have looked like? A new study said it would look similar to this galaxy, which astronomers have named Zhúlóng, or Torch Dragon. Image via NOIRLab/ NSF/ AURA/ NASA/ CSA/ ESA/ M. Xiao (University of Geneva)/ G. Brammer (Niels Bohr Institute)/ D. de Martin & M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab). Science matters. Wonder matters. You matter.Join EarthSky’s 2025 Donation C…