The ultraviolet light leaking from a distant galaxy suggests how hydrogen got ionized in the universe long ago

A recent report from the Stockholm University stated that a leaky galaxy might be offering various clues about the cosmic makeover and ionization process foisted on the universe during its formation. This will help the space researchers to solve the existing puzzle about the “reionization” process.

The light is leaking out from the blasting ionizing ultraviolet radiation through a small hole carved out of the gas. Similar channels did exist earlier which could have provided an escape hatch for the ultraviolet light to pass through this intergalactic hydrogen.

“Not all of it can get outside the galaxy, let alone reionize the intergalactic medium,” says Brant Robertson, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who was not involved with the research. There are other stars that are responsible for producing the ionizing radiation that navigates through the thickest of gas and dust within the galaxy, especially the Milky Way.

The astronomers are still looking for the reason behind these radiations that are been produced by the stars, which are intervening gas clouds that faint the light before it reaches earth. “The way to go about it is to look for analogs. We look for galaxies that are similar and gain an understanding of the physical processes that might have occurred,” stated Joanna Bridge, an astronomer at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.