Stars in Sextans A galaxy are rewriting the rules of star-making
Scientists just spotted something wild in the Sextans A galaxy: stars are forming without some of the usual building blocks like silicon and carbon.
The team described it as a "cosmic kitchen" missing key ingredients—yet somehow, new stars are still popping up.
This surprising find was shared at the American Astronomical Association's annual meeting in Phoenix this January using data from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Why this matters
The team also found unexpected dust and complex molecules called PAHs in parts of Sextans A that don't have much metal—something scientists thought couldn't happen.
This discovery is making researchers rethink how galaxies work and how stars get made.
Next up, they'll use JWST's advanced tools to dig deeper into these weird cosmic recipes, which could totally change what we know about how galaxies grow and evolve.