The recently detected galaxy is the most distant one ever discovered, with light that has been traveling for over 13.4 billion years to reach us. This means that the galaxy formed just a short time after the Big Bang, during a period when the Universe was still young and full of fog and darkness. The detection of this galaxy provides new insights into the early stages of the Universe and the formation of galaxies.
The detailed observations taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have allowed researchers to not only measure the distance of the recently discovered galaxies but also infer some of their properties. One of the researchers, astronomer Brant Robertson from the University of California Santa Cruz, said that for the first time they have discovered galaxies only 350 million years after the Big Bang, and they can be absolutely confident of their fantastic distances.
To locate these earliest galaxies in such stunningly gorgeous visions is a special venture. The discovery of these early galaxies provides new insights into the early stages of the Universe and the formation of galaxies.
Farthest Galaxy in the Universe
One of the main goals of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was to be able to see farther into the early Universe than ever before. Our understanding of the first billion years after the Big Bang is limited, and studying objects from this time can help us better understand the formation of the Universe. Scientists have developed models that describe how events unfolded during this time, but there is still much to learn. The discovery of the most distant galaxy yet detected provides new insights into this crucial period of cosmic history.
After the Big Bang, particles began to combine and form neutral hydrogen. As stars form, they ionize the hydrogen, causing it to emit light. Such a process was completed roughly 1 billion years after the genesis of the Universe. The light from these early stars and galaxies is very faint because it has traveled a great distance. Additionally, the expansion of the Universe has caused the light to be stretched into the redder end of the spectrum, a phenomenon known as redshifting.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the most powerful telescope ever launched into space. It is designed to detect infrared and near-infrared light, which is ideal for detecting redshifted light. To measure the redshift of a galaxy, researchers use a technique called spectroscopy, which involves breaking down the light into its wavelengths. A team of researchers used the JWST's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) to break down the light from four galaxies into nine different wavelength ranges. Two of these galaxies had been previously identified by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Obtaining Latest JWST Observations
The JWST data confirms that the two galaxies previously identified by the Hubble Space Telescope are among the most distant ever detected. Additionally, the other two galaxies are even farther away. According to astronomer Emma Curtis-Lake of the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, it was crucial to prove that these galaxies do, indeed, inhabit the early Universe. Closer galaxies can be masked as very remote galaxies. Seeing the spectrum revealed as they hoped, confirming these galaxies as being at the true edge of one's view, some further away than Hubble could see. It is a tremendously exciting achievement for the mission, Curtis-Lake added.
The two galaxies identified by the Hubble Space Telescope have redshifts of 10.38 and 11.58. The JWST's discoveries have redshifts of 12.63 and 13.20, with the latter being equivalent to about 13.5 billion light-years away. There are other potential candidates at even higher redshifts that are currently under investigation but have not yet been confirmed. Since the JWST has only been operational for six months, the record for the most distant galaxy will likely be broken again soon.
The observations that led to the discovery of these distant galaxies were part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), which collected a total of 28 hours' worth of data from a region of distance in and almost the renowned Hubble Ultra Deep Field.
This data will provide valuable information about the conditions in the early Universe and the formation of the first stars and galaxies. With such measurements, scientists can determine the intrinsic brightness of the galaxies and figure out how many stars they have, declared Robertson. With this new information, researchers can begin to study how galaxies evolve. The findings will be presented at the STScI's First Science Results from the JWST conference.
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