The exact origins of the Milky Way are shrouded in mystery. But astronomers believe that our home galaxy started out more than 13 billion years ago, and that it was much smaller than its present-day size. How did it grow so much to reach its current size? For that, we can likely thank eons of galactic cannibalism.
Astronomers aren’t sure exactly how the first galaxies formed, because the early ages of the universe are incredibly difficult to observe. (Observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope are designed to study exactly that epoch.) That said, scientists do have some clues.
The modern-day universe features places of very high density, such as galaxies, and places of very low density, like the voids between galaxies. But all observations indicate that the early universe was very different: There were barely any differences in density across the universe, according to the European Space Agency.
“Writer Fuel” is a series of cool real-world stories that might inspire your little writer heart. Check out our Writer Fuel page on the LimFic blog for more inspiration.
