2024-07-27 04:00:12
The discovery of the most distant galaxy ever observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has surprised the scientific community. By peering into the distant Universe, this telescope has made it possible to observe galaxies dating back billions of years.
A feat that raises questions about the limits of our observable Universe. James Webb sees this galaxy as it was only 300 million years after the Big Bang.
The Universe is 13.8 billion years old, which means that the most distant galaxies should be located at this distance. However, the galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0 is currently 33.8 billion light-years away. How is this possible? This distance seems to contradict our understanding of the age of the Universe.
The expansion of the Universe offers one explanation. Although light from JADES-GS-z14-0 has traveled for 13.5 billion years, the expanding Universe has extended that distance to 33.8 billion light-years today.
The Universe has experienced several phases of expansion, including a period of rapid cosmic inflation after the Big Bang. This phase was followed by a period dominated by matter, and then by a new acceleration due to thedark energystill active today.
The galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0, currently located 33.8 billion light-years from Earth.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Brant Robertson (UC Santa Cruz), Ben Johnson (CfA), Sandro Tacchella (Cambridge), Phill Cargile (CfA)
Galaxies like JADES-GS-z14-0, visible today, will no longer be observable in a few billion years due to the continued expansion of the Universe. Future observers will only be able to see local galaxies, the most distant ones will have passed beyond the cosmological horizon.
Physically, the expansion of the Universe will extend the distance between them and us at a speed greater than that of light. Their light will thus never again be able to reach us. This process of expansion is underway. The expansion is even faster and faster, it is accelerated.
In this way, James Webb offers a unique window into cosmic history, allowing us to explore eras that will be invisible to future generations. Astronomers take full advantage of this privilege to deepen our understanding of the Universe and its origins.
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