Do new objects ever become visible to us for the first time?

[QuestionMarks]

Does light from distant objects still continue to reach us "for the first time," or is the universe sufficiently old and its expansion sufficiently fast that this will never again happen? If it does happen, do we have any examples of it? Also, if so, what does it "look like" (i.e. does something just magically seem to all of the sudden appear)?

 

[Simon Bridge]

As you look further away, you are looking into the past.
The analogy here is being in a forest where the trees get younger and younger towards the edges - over time you see the distant trees grow taller and get older, in the far distance sprouts put forth leaves and grow to saplings, and, in the clear ground outside the forest, new sprouts poke their heads up.

Thus: we get to see new stages in the evolution of the objects that are already there.
Sometimes this is a slow process, like the accretion of a cloud of dust into a star.
The ignition of the protostar could be quite quick, particularly in visible light, so that would be the "sudden appearance of a new object" if you like. Similarly a supernova is a very quick event.

So what it looks like is just the same as the normal changes around us every day.
What you won't see is fully formed stars or galaxies just popping into visibility - they have to grow into being, like the trees.

 

[QuestionMarks]

I was about to ask if we see new "formations" then, but that leaves the question already answered (thinking about the Hubble deep images of "baby" galaxies, and consequently "baby" things within them), gradually of course. Thanks

 

[Chronos]

To affirm what Simon already said, fully formed structures, like galaxies, never suddenly pop into view. This is the inference often drawn from talk of there being galaxies in the universe whose light has not yet had time to reach us. What they fail to mention is light emanated by their precursor structures will reach us long before that of the mature galaxy.

 

[pmacias]

As scientists, we understand that the universe is constantly expanding and evolving. This means that new objects are indeed becoming visible to us for the first time. The light from these distant objects may have taken billions of years to reach us, but it is still reaching us for the first time.

We have evidence of this happening through the discovery of new objects in the universe, such as new stars, galaxies, and even entire clusters of galaxies. These objects were not visible to us before because their light had not yet reached us. It is through advancements in technology and observational techniques that we are able to detect and study these new objects.

It is important to note that the universe is vast and there are still many areas that we have not explored or observed. This means that there may be even more objects out there that we have not yet seen for the first time.

As for what it looks like when a new object becomes visible to us, it is not a sudden or magical appearance. Rather, it is a gradual process as the light from the object reaches our telescopes and instruments. The amount of time it takes for this light to reach us depends on the distance of the object from us.

In conclusion, new objects are constantly becoming visible to us for the first time in the ever-expanding universe. This is a testament to the vastness and complexity of our universe, and it is through continued scientific exploration and discovery that we will continue to unravel its mysteries.