For a long time, astronomers believed galaxy formation followed a very specific model: cosmic gas collects in clumps, stars are born from those clumps, and, over billions of years, stellar neighborhoods gradually increase in size. However, the James Webb Space Telescope, launched in December 2021, has disrupted that model.

If another gravity theory is correct, "then the broader implications are enormous," astrophysicist Stacy McGaugh told Newsweek.