The Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has helped researchers depict a gigantic galaxy near the edge of the charted universe. The researchers came across a spread of huge, stellar cradles in the massive galaxy.

The researchers used a gravitational lens to conduct the study. They conducted a high resolution test observation campaign in October 2014 and took images of the monstrous galaxy SDP. 81. The location of the galaxy is 11.7 billion light-years away from Earth in the constellation Hydra.

A massive foreground galaxy creates the gravitational lens. The galaxy is 3.4 billion light-years away from us and the lens it creates serve the purpose of a telescope. The natural telescope magnified the image of SDP. 81. Researchers were not able to gain insight into complicated structure of the image because it smeared into a ring shape. This led the scientists to construct the best model for the gravitational lens. As a result, they were able to make corrections in lensing effects.

The fine structures in the ring have now been learnt reflecting the inner structure of SDP. 81. The new model has provided a clear picture of the galaxy, showing several dust clouds distributed within an elliptical region 5,000 light- years across.

According to the researchers, sizes of the clouds in SDP. 81 are comparable to those found in our Milky Way and nearby galaxies. The new model has helped researchers reveal the inner structure of such a distant galaxy for the first time.