Astronomers believe the Milky Way is an estimated 13.51 billion years old. Yet many details of its life remain unclear, such as what happened during its infancy and what the galaxy was like as a so-called newborn.
This week, research published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, provided astronomers with new details about a recently discovered galaxy, nicknamed "The Sparkler," which can be found in the constellation of Volans in the southern sky. The new observations have scientists comparing this younger galaxy, which is around 9 billion years ago, to our own when it was that age. In other words, this newly-discovered galaxy could have characteristics very similar to the Milky Way when it was merely a baby galaxy.
