Astronomers are baffled by a small galaxy, NGC 6789, that continues to produce new stars despite existing in a nearly empty region of space with no apparent fuel source. The galaxy, located 12 million light-years away in an area known as the Local Void, has been churning out stars at a measurable rate over the last 600 million years, a process scientists struggle to explain.
The Anomaly: Stars from Nothing?
NGC 6789 was first identified in 1883, but its ongoing star formation only became clear through recent observations. Roughly 4% of the galaxy’s total stellar mass has been created in the past 600 million years—an unexpected rate given its location. The Local Void is precisely what makes this galaxy so strange. This area of space contains very few galaxies, and therefore little raw material for star formation. The lack of nearby galactic neighbors means there are no easy ways for NGC 6789 to pull in fresh gas and dust from mergers.
The Search for Answers
A team led by astronomer Ignacio Trujillo investigated whether the galaxy had previously merged with other smaller star clusters, a process that could explain a sudden influx of star-forming material. Using the Two-meter Twin Telescope in Spain, they scanned the galaxy’s outer regions for telltale signs of past collisions. However, the investigation revealed no evidence of any such mergers. The galaxy appears structurally undisturbed, ruling out this explanation.
Possible Explanations and Remaining Questions
The most likely scenario is that NGC 6789 has been drawing on gas leftover from its initial formation, or that it somehow accumulated pristine gas from beyond its own boundaries. The researchers suggest that this gas was quickly consumed by the galaxy’s star-forming core.
However, this does not fully resolve the mystery. If the galaxy is truly isolated, where did this gas come from? Was it an extremely rare event, or are there unknown mechanisms at play that allow star formation to occur even in the most desolate regions of space?
Future observations are needed to uncover how NGC 6789 has defied expectations and continued to grow despite the absence of readily available fuel. For now, the galaxy remains an intriguing cosmic puzzle.
