Photo: Tiny Young Galaxies "Full of Stars" Discovered

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A newfound type of galaxy that existed in the early universe (right) would fit within the central hub of the Milky Way (left), as illustrated in an artist's comparison.

Despite the size difference, both galaxies contain about the same number of stars, a find that has astronomers puzzling over how the tiny, compact galaxies could have formed.

Image courtesy NASA, ESA, A. Feild (STScI), and P. van Dokkum (Yale University)

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