Researchers at the University of Copenhagen, using the James Webb Space Telescope, have made a groundbreaking discovery by witnessing the formation of three of the earliest galaxies in the universe over 13 billion years ago. This discovery, published in the journal Science, provides crucial insights into the formation of the universe. The James Webb Space Telescope enabled researchers to observe the live formation of galaxies for the first time, shedding light on this fundamental process.
The observations made through the telescope revealed large amounts of gas accumulating and accreting onto mini-galaxies in the process of being built. This phenomenon, which is essential for the formation of galaxies according to theories and simulations, had never been directly witnessed before. Researchers, led by Assistant Professor Kasper Elm Heintz, described these observations as the first direct images of galaxy formation ever seen, capturing the birth of the first star systems in the universe.
The birth of these galaxies is estimated to have occurred roughly 400-600 million years after the Big Bang, marking the early stages of galaxy formation in the universe. The Epoch of Reionization, during which the first galaxies began to break through the hydrogen gas cloud that shrouded the universe after the Big Bang, played a crucial role in this process. The detailed observations made with the James Webb Space Telescope provide a unique perspective on the formation of galaxies during this pivotal period.
By capturing signals from large amounts of hydrogen gas, the researchers were able to gain insights into the building blocks of stars and galaxies in the early universe. This discovery represents the most distant measurement of cold, neutral hydrogen gas made by scientific researchers to date. The study, conducted by a research team at the Cosmic Dawn Center at the University of Copenhagen’s Niels Bohr Institute, is a significant step towards understanding the origins of the universe and shedding light on one of humanity’s most fundamental questions.
The researchers are planning to continue their observations with the James Webb Space Telescope to further expand upon their findings and delve deeper into the early epochs of galaxy formation. By studying galaxies in greater detail and pushing the boundaries of observational capabilities, they hope to uncover more pieces of the puzzle surrounding the creation of the universe. This new knowledge contributes to the ongoing quest to answer the age-old question of where we come from, providing valuable insights into the earliest structures and processes in the universe.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Kasper E. Heintz, with contributions from other scientists at the Cosmic Dawn Center. Their groundbreaking observations were made possible through the advanced capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope, which allowed them to observe the formation of the universe’s earliest galaxies. By analyzing the absorption of light from these galaxies by neutral gas, the researchers were able to distinguish newly formed galaxy gas from other gas, marking a significant breakthrough in our understanding of the early universe.