Astronomers continue to puzzle over the Universe's formation and evolution, particularly focusing on spiral and elliptical galaxies. The newly discovered "Big Wheel" galaxy, located at redshift z=3.25, showcases a stellar mass exceeding that of the Milky Way, suggesting that massive gas-rich structures existed nearly 12 billion years ago. This galaxy rotates similarly to present-day spirals and adheres to the Tully-Fisher relation, indicating dark matter's influence. Understanding how galaxies form and evolve, particularly through major mergers, remains a significant challenge in modern astronomy.
By tracking the evolution of the universe's structures, we find that massive overdense regions are essential for forming large, rotating spiral galaxies.
The discovery of the Big Wheel galaxy at z=3.25 reveals that massive structures similar to modern galaxies already existed nearly 12 billion years ago.
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