Figure 1
This artist's animation shows a typical young galaxy, teeming with hot, newborn
stars and exploding supernovas. The supernovas are seen as white flashes
of light.
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer spotted three-dozen young galaxies like
the one shown here in our corner of the universe. It was able to see them
with the help of its highly sensitive ultraviolet detectors. Because
newborn stars radiate ultraviolet light, young galaxies light up
brilliantly when viewed in ultraviolet wavelengths. The findings came as
a surprise, because astronomers had thought that the universe's
"birth-rate" had declined, and that massive galaxies were no longer
forming.
