The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has only been active for mere weeks, but it has already made some astounding discoveries including now breaking the record for oldest galaxy ever observed.
Named GLASS-z13, this galaxy emerged just 300 million years after the Big Bang took place.
This outshines what was previously thought to be the oldest galaxy (GN-z11) by 100 million years. Scientists also discovered another galaxy on par with GN-z11 named GLASS-z11.
To put that all into perspective, scientists believe that the universe is 13.8 billion years old.
The findings were shared by New Scientist reporter Jonathan O’Callaghan.
This red dot is the oldest galaxy we’ve ever seen!
The latest data from the James Webb Space Telescope has helped astronomers find the galaxy, which dates back to just 300 million years after the big bang https://t.co/ujVstyRBES pic.twitter.com/p404hoSjFC
ā New Scientist (@newscientist) July 20, 2022
According to a draft copy of research put together by scientists at the astronomy departments at some of the top academic institutions in the world including Harvard, Yale, and Penn State, scientists may be getting closer to answering the question of how and why the first galaxies formed.
“With the advent of JWST, we now have an unprecedented view of the universe,” researchers say.
The first image revealed by the JWST was released a little under two weeks ago, and since then new images and data have been pouring in.
NASA also recently revealed the image below, a shot of “emerging stellar nurseries and individual stars in the Carina Nebula.”
This was previously obscured, but the JWST is able to see through cosmic dust.
NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
It remains to be seen what the JWST might find next, but scientists and space enthusiasts are chomping at the bit.