Peekaboo: Once-hidden galaxy revealed to be window into cosmic history

[Rick]

Peekaboo: Once-hidden galaxy revealed to be window into cosmic history

A nearby galaxy – dubbed Peekaboo because it has long been hidden behind a star – has finally come into view enough for NASA to discover that it's more than just a tease. It offers a glance into the early universe, despite being one of the youngest galaxies ever detected.

Like the earliest known galaxies in the universe, Peekaboo – also more romantically dubbed HIPASS J1131-31 – is "extremely metal poor" (XMP). That means it lacks the chemical elements that were formed after the Big Bang, and mostly consists of hydrogen and helium. 

The astronomers made their determination using a combination of spectroscopic analysis from the South African Large Telescope (SALT) and images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA said the venerable Hubble was able to resolve around 60 stars in the fledgling galaxy, which is a mere 1,200 light years across. 

More: https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/08/hidden_galaxy_revealed/