The James Webb Space Telescope has set a new record by identifying the two most distant galaxies ever observed, dating back to only 300 million years after the Big Bang. They are named JADES-GS-z14-0 galaxy and JADES-GS-z14-1 galaxy, with the former being the farther of the two.
The discovery belongs to the scientists of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) team. Webb made this groundbreaking discovery using its massive 6.5-meter-wide primary mirror and highly sensitive infrared instruments.
What Makes JADES-GS-z14-0 Galaxy That Prominent?
In addition to holding the title of being the most distant, JADES-GS-z14-0 galaxy also stands out for its enormous size and brightness. Astronomers say this last aspect is even more important. According to Webb’s measurements, the galaxy spans over 1,600 light years. Usually, the brightest galaxies get their light from gas falling into supermassive black holes. However, the size of JADES-GS-z14-0 suggests that’s not the case here. Instead, scientists assume that the light comes from young stars.
“The size of the galaxy clearly proves that most of the light is being produced by large numbers of young stars,” says Daniel Eisenstein, a Harvard professor and chair of the astronomy department. “Rather than material falling onto a supermassive black hole in the galaxy’s centre, which would appear much smaller.”
The Significance Of JADES-GS-z14-0 Galaxy Discovery
The remarkable brightness of JADES-GS-z14-0, together with the presence of young stars driving this luminosity, gives the strongest proof yet that big, massive galaxies formed quickly in the early universe.
“JADES-GS-z14-0 now becomes the archetype of this phenomenon. It is stunning that the universe can make such a galaxy in only 300 million years,” states Dr Stefano Carniani of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, lead author on the discovery paper.
Before the JADES-GS-z14-0 galaxy discovery, the James Webb Telescope’s previous record-holder was a galaxy observed at 325 million years after the Big Bang.
