Webb Spots 'Astronomy's Platypus': Mysterious Galaxies Challenge Early Universe Theories

• NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discovered nine unusual galaxies, dubbed "astronomy's platypus," existing 12-12.6 billion years ago.
• These galaxies are compact, faint, and defy normal classification, combining traits of star-forming galaxies without typical quasar cores.
• Their unique features, like narrow emission lines indicating slower gas motion, challenge current theories of early galaxy formation.
• Scientists believe these could be building blocks of the first galaxies or a completely new class of cosmic objects.
• The discovery offers a rare glimpse into the universe's first billion years, prompting further high-resolution studies by Webb.

Why It Matters: Webb's discovery of "platypus galaxies" in the early universe challenges cosmic formation theories.