Platypus Galaxies: Webb Telescope Reveals Unexpected Galaxy Formation

A ⁣new ⁢category of‍ space objects ‍dubbed “platypus galaxies” is defying description.

These nine strange ⁣cosmic ‌objects, spotted in archival data from ​teh James Webb Space Telescope, cannot ⁢easily be characterized by their features. They are small and compact, but they don’t appear to host active supermassive black holes or to⁤ be quasars, enormous black holes that glow as brightly ⁣as galaxies, according to new ⁢research.

Researchers have dubbed the cosmic oddballs “platypus⁢ galaxies” because, like platypuses – rare egg-laying mammals – they are tough to classify, Haojing Yan, an⁤ astronomer at the University of Missouri who​ led the team, said when presenting the findings at the 247th meeting​ of​ the American astronomical Society in Phoenix this week.

“The detailed ⁣genetic code of a platypus provides additional facts that shows just how ⁤unusual the animal is, sharing ⁣genetic features with birds, reptiles, and mammals,” Yan said in a‌ statement ​ describing the research, which is available ​as a preprint via arXiv.‍ “Together, Webb’s imaging and spectra are telling us that these galaxies have an unexpected combination of properties.”