Meet Dr Ronaldo Laishram, the Manipur Scientist Behind the Discovery of the 12.6-Billion-Year-Old ‘City of Galaxies’, Loktak Protocluster

A team of international astronomers has recently discovered a huge group of young galaxies that existed 12.6 billion years ago. The discovery was led by Indian astronomer Dr Ronaldo Laishram, an astrophysicist from Manipur. The newly discovered structure was named the Loktak Protocluster by the 29-year-old scientist, inspired by the famous Loktak Lake in Manipur.

Scientists describe this newly discovered structure as a “city of galaxies” that is still forming under the force of gravity in space. A protocluster is a collection of young galaxies that will eventually come together to form a massive galaxy cluster. The Loktak Protocluster existed when the universe was only around 1.2 billion years old. According to the discovery, galaxies living in crowded regions of space were already growing differently from galaxies in quieter areas much earlier than scientists had previously believed.

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Who is Dr Ronaldo Laishram?

Dr Ronaldo Laishram is a 29-year-old scientist from Khangabok in Manipur's Thoubal district. He completed his master's degree and PhD from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ).

His research focuses on galaxies and understanding how they form and evolve across cosmic time in the early universe. Apart from his scientific work, Dr Laishram is also dedicated to science education. He founded the Manipur Astronomical Society (MAS), which promotes astronomy among students and young people in Northeast India. He has also co-founded OviEdu and OviVerse, two organisations that help students with education, mentorship and career development.

How did scientists discover the “city of galaxies”?

The research team used data from the Subaru Telescope, operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), managed by NASA.

The Subaru Telescope first detected the distinct group of galaxies. The James Webb Space Telescope then helped scientists study the galaxies in greater detail. The observations revealed that the galaxies inside the protocluster were around 40% larger than similar galaxies in less crowded or isolated regions of space.

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This suggests that a galaxy's environment plays a very important role in how it grows and evolves. Dr Laishram explained that discovering a well-organised group of galaxies from such an early period in the universe's history gives scientists a unique opportunity to understand how surrounding conditions influence the way galaxies form and grow. He described protoclusters as the universe's "construction sites". The discovery shows that galaxies are shaped not only by their own properties but also by the neighbourhood in which they live.

Why is it called the Loktak Protocluster?

Dr Laishram named it after Loktak Lake in Manipur, which is famous for its floating islands of vegetation known as phumdis. The scientist noticed a similarity between the lake and the cosmic structure. Just as the floating phumdis are connected within one lake, the Loktak Protocluster contains four large groups of galaxies that are connected as part of one giant system.

Speaking about the name, Dr Laishram said, as quoted by NDTV, "Loktak is deeply connected to Manipur's identity. Naming this discovery after Loktak Lake is my way of connecting our home with the wider Universe. In that sense, the name Loktak will continue to echo in the story of the Universe."

He also told ThePrint, "It is woven into our identity, our stories, and the lives of our people in ways that are difficult to put into words." Explaining how he chose the name, he said that he wanted to do something that would place Manipur not just on the map but in the story of the Universe itself. He wanted to do something that would remain long after all of us are gone. He added, "Loktak will echo in the story of the Universe forever. That is the greatest tribute I could offer to home."

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