At a Glance
- Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers discovered that the bright light from the early galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0 is due to bursts of star formation, not a black hole.
- The JWST is designed to study the universe’s earliest galaxies, and the JADES survey identified two of the oldest galaxies known, including JADES-GS-z14-0, formed about 300 million years after the Big Bang.
- Researchers analyzed 10 hours of near-infrared data from the JWST, using redshift measurement to determine the galaxy’s age and characteristics. They found that the light comes from young stars forming rapidly.
- JADES-GS-z14-0 is very luminous and contains more dust and oxygen than expected, indicating a rich history of star formation and evolution.
- The study challenges existing models of galaxy formation, suggesting that early galaxies grew more prominent and faster than previously thought.
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have made an exciting discovery about one of the earliest galaxies observed. Their new study, published in the journal Nature, reveals that the bright light emitted from the galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0 is due to bursts of star formation, not a black hole as previously speculated.
The JWST, one of the most advanced space telescopes, is designed to look back in time to study the universe’s earliest galaxies. Researchers use it to gather data on galaxies formed shortly after the Big Bang. The recent JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) has identified two of the oldest galaxies known, including JADES-GS-z14-0. This galaxy, along with another named JADES-GS-z14-1, is believed to have formed about 300 million years after the Big Bang.
The team focused on analyzing 10 hours of near-infrared data from the JWST. They used redshift measurement to determine the galaxy’s age and characteristics. Their analysis showed that JADES-GS-z14-0 is incredibly old and emits light from a halo of young stars rather than from a central black hole. This light comes from new stars forming rapidly, suggesting that the galaxy began this intense star production only 200 million years after the universe’s birth.
Further observations revealed that JADES-GS-z14-0 is very luminous and contains more dust and oxygen than expected. This indicates that the galaxy has a rich star formation and evolution history. The study’s findings challenge existing models of galaxy formation and suggest that early galaxies grew more prominent and faster than previously thought.
References
- Yirka, B. & Phys.org. (2024, August 1). JWST imagery shows light from one of the earliest galaxies is due to continuing bursts from star formations. Phys.Org; Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-jwst-imagery-earliest-galaxies-due.html
- Carniani, S., Hainline, K., D’Eugenio, F., Eisenstein, D. J., Jakobsen, P., Witstok, J., Johnson, B. D., Chevallard, J., Maiolino, R., Helton, J. M., Willott, C., Robertson, B., Alberts, S., Arribas, S., Baker, W. M., Bhatawdekar, R., Boyett, K., Bunker, A. J., Cameron, A. J., … Willmer, C. N. A. (2024). Spectroscopic confirmation of two luminous galaxies at a redshift of 14. Nature, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07860-9
