Everything we know about the evolution of the early universe is now being called into question. Many galaxies discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope do not fit the standard cosmology model that astronomers currently believe.

According to a new study published Nature AstronomyThe six oldest galaxies observed by Webb contradict the way astronomers currently view the evolution of the early universe. Study author Mike Boylan-Kolchin says these galaxies are too large to fit in our current models.

When we look at the evolution of the early universe, we usually expect to see much smaller galaxies. However, all six of which Boylan-Kolchin focused on are much larger than scientists currently thought was possible. Astronomers estimate that each of the galaxies is between 500 and 700 million years old.

But the mass of each is more than 10 billion times that of our Sun. In fact, one of them appears to be much larger than the Milky Way, even though billions of years have passed for our galaxy to evolve and shed its old core. Boylan-Colchin says these discoveries could completely change the way we view the evolution of the early universe.

Boylan-Colchin says we’re in “uncharted territory” if scientists’ predictions are correct. This discovery may require us to look at unknown forces and particles to try to understand how the universe expanded so quickly to contain such highly evolved galaxies. It is possible that we are not looking back as much as we think. We need more research to come to a firm conclusion.

Of course, we always knew that James Webb would challenge what we thought we understood. The telescope looks deep into space and much further back than we’ve ever seen before. This is probably just one of many things that will challenge our current understanding of the evolution of the early universe. But every challenge that arises makes us take a closer look at what we know and what we don’t. It allows us to sharpen lines that have remained blurred for decades. The lines we need to follow more clearly if we really want to understand everything.