Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

A young galaxy that consists of numerous star-forming clumps

Morphology and dynamics probe early galaxy formation. Contrary to previous understanding that early galaxies comprise smooth structures, high-resolution observations combined with gravitational lensing reveal at least 15 star-forming clumps within a rotating galaxy from 900 million years after the Big Bang. These observations challenge current theories of early galaxy formation.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Ultra-high-resolution view of an early galaxy.

References

  1. Hopkins, P. F. et al. Galaxies on FIRE (Feedback In Realistic Environments): stellar feedback explains cosmologically inefficient star formation. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 445, 581–603 (2014). This article presents a simulation framework showing how stellar feedback regulates star formation across cosmic time.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Fujimoto, S. et al. ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey: bright [C II] 158 μm lines from a multiply imaged sub-L galaxy at z = 6.0719. Astrophys. J. 911, 99 (2021). This paper reports the use of ALMA [C II] emission to characterize the Cosmic Grapes.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Laporte, N. et al. ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey: a strongly lensed multiply imaged dusty system at z ≥ 6. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 505, 4838–4846 (2021). This article presents a spectroscopic analysis of the dust continuum from the Cosmic Grapes.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Furtak, L. J. et al. A complex node of the cosmic web associated with the massive galaxy cluster MACS J0600.1-2008. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 533, 2242–2261 (2024). This article presents a gravitational lens model and cosmic web structure analysis around the RXCJ0600 cluster, which hosts the Cosmic Grapes.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Fujimoto, S. et al. Primordial rotating disk composed of at least 15 dense star-forming clumps at cosmic dawn. Nat. Astron. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02592-w (2025).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

A young galaxy that consists of numerous star-forming clumps. Nat Astron 9, 1429–1430 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02597-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02597-5

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing