The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has observed the oldest galaxies in the universe, with five candidate galaxies located approximately 34 billion light years from Earth. (James Webb Telescope)
The James Webb Space TELESCOPE (JWST) observes the oldest galaxies in the universe. These five candidate galaxies are located so far away that the most distant galaxy looks like it was only 200 million years old after the Big Bang.
In other words, light from these galaxies has been traveling towards Earth for about 13.6 billion years. However, due to the expansion of the universe, these galaxies are now estimated to be about 34 billion light years away. However, none of this has been confirmed for certain.
Previously, JWST’s Galactic Legacy Infrared Midplane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE) project observed the most distant galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0. The galaxy looks like it did when the universe was about 280 million years old.
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These new galaxies will be given official names once confirmed, but will likely use the prefix “GLIMPSE” to refer to the survey that discovered them. According to current models of the evolution of the universe, these galaxies could be the earliest to form.
Approaching the First Generation of Galaxies
Hakim Atek, a member of the discovery team from the Paris Institute of Astrophysics, stated that although it is difficult to determine the exact age of these galaxies, they may be close to the first generation of galaxies.
“With only about 150 million years to form this galaxy, there is very little in the way of getting there,” Atek told Space.com. “These observations will provide tight constraints on the physical processes that are possible in our model of the universe.”
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Seeing ‘Red’ Thanks to Einstein
Early galaxies like these five candidates are described as “high redshift” or “high z” galaxies. The expansion of the universe causes the wavelengths of light emitted by these galaxies to stretch, known as redshift. The longer it takes light to reach us, the greater the redshift it experiences.
For example, a redshift of z = 10 means the light has traveled for 13.2 billion years, while the object is now about 26.6 billion light years away. This new galaxy has a redshift between z = 16 to z = 18, higher than JADES-GS-z14-0 which has a redshift z = 14.2.
According to Vasily Kokorev of the University of Texas, finding this galaxy continues JWST’s trend of finding bright galaxies at high redshifts that are denser than previously thought. “The objects we found are consistent with the new paradigm of an excess of bright galaxies at high redshift,” he said.
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Help from the Gravitational Lens
This discovery was made possible by GLIMPSE’s deepest observations to date and help from the galaxy cluster Abell S1063. This cluster, which is about 4 billion light years away, uses the phenomenon of gravitational lensing first predicted by Albert Einstein in 1915. Gravitational lensing, which magnifies objects behind it, allows JWST to detect distant galaxies that are too faint to see unaided.
However, even using the most powerful telescopes and these cosmic phenomena, the galaxies remain too faint to analyze in detail. “To truly understand the nature of these galaxies, a spectrum is needed. Currently, we only know that these objects are intrinsically very faint,” said Kokorev.
Next Steps
Although there is potential for JWST to discover even earlier galaxies, Atek said the challenges are big. “These sources are thought to be so faint that spectroscopic confirmation even with JWST may be very difficult or impossible,” he said.
Kokorev added that earlier observations of the galaxy may have taken up to 450 hours, much longer than the 150 hours used in the GLIMPSE project.
Even so, the team remains optimistic. “This is the first of many GLIMPSE papers to come, so look forward to more exciting science from GLIMPSE,” Kokorev concluded. (Space/Z-3)
Well, well, well, it seems like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has gone and done it again! Like a celestial stalker, it’s been snooping around the universe, trying to catch a glimpse of the oldest galaxies in the universe. And, oh boy, has it found some goodies! Five candidate galaxies, to be exact, lurking about 34 billion light years away. That’s like trying to spot a needle in a haystack, but instead of a needle, it’s a ginormous ball of hot, glowing gas and instead of a haystack, it’s the vast expanse of space! (pauses for comedic effect)
Now, I know what you’re thinking, “How on earth did they manage to spot these ancient galaxies?” Well, it’s all thanks to the JWST’s Galactic Legacy Infrared Midplane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE) project, which sounds like a mouthful, doesn’t it? It’s like they wanted to create a title that’s so long and confusing, it would make even the most seasoned space nerd’s head spin! (chuckles)
But seriously, the GLIMPSE project observed these galaxies, and the most distant one, JADES-GS-z14-0, is thought to be a mere 200 million years old when the universe was just a wee lad, about 280 million years after the Big Bang. That’s like me trying to remember what I had for breakfast yesterday – a bit of a challenge, to say the least! (laughs)
Now, the team is all abuzz, speculating that these galaxies might be the first generation of galaxies to form. Hakim Atek, a member of the discovery team, says that “with only about 150 million years to form this galaxy, there is very little in the way of getting there.” (insert Seinfeld-esque, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that!”) Yeah, no pressure, universe, just casually forming galaxies like they’re going out of style! (winks)
And let’s talk about Einstein for a second. You see, his theory of general relativity predicted the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, which essentially means that the universe can act like a magnifying glass, bending light around massive objects, allowing us to spot distant galaxies that are otherwise too faint to see. Talk about a clever trick, eh? (smirks) I mean, who needs binoculars when you’ve got gravity on your side?
But despite the JWST’s impressive capabilities, even with a little help from Einstein, these galaxies remain too faint to analyze in detail. Vasily Kokorev from the University of Texas says that “to truly understand the nature of these galaxies, a spectrum is needed.” Oh, and by the way, the word “spectrum” sounds a bit like “speculator”… coincidence? (winks)
All joking aside, the team is still stumped, and the challenges ahead are significant. Atek warns that “these sources are thought to be so faint that spectroscopic confirmation even with JWST may be very difficult or impossible.” You can almost hear the collective, “Ah, blast!” from the scientific community.
However, all is not lost! The team remains optimistic, and Kokorev concludes that “this is the first of many GLIMPSE papers to come, so look forward to more exciting science from GLIMPSE.” There’s that old adage, “keep calm and carry on,” but I think the scientific community should have its own version: “keep searching, keep discovering, and keep looking fabulous doing it!” (chuckles)
Well, there you have it, folks – the universe’s secrets slowly unraveling, and the JWST has put on quite the show for us. Time to grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the celestial spectacle!