JWST pierces through cosmic fog to determine earliest starlight in universe
Webb observations suggest that the newborn galaxies likely sparked the reionization of the early universe.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has looked back in time to help solve one of the universe's biggest mysteries: the period of reionization.
This period is when the first stars and galaxies formed after a long period called the cosmic dark ages. Scientists have been trying to figure out how the early universe emerged from the cosmic dark ages.
The powerful space telescope has given us the clearest data yet of this cosmic dawn, giving us a glimpse into the universe's first billion years.
The findings suggest that the newborn galaxies probably sparked the reionization of the early universe.
These galaxies were filled with incredibly energetic stars that acted like cosmic lighthouses, burning off the fog of neutral hydrogen and lighting up the universe.
The universe’s earliest starlight:
The Webb telescope collected the first detailed data on the universe's oldest starlights.
The images show us tiny, newly formed galaxies that existed less than a billion years after the Big Bang.
This period of reionization was crucial because before this time, the universe was dark and covered in a dense fog of gas. During the cosmic dark ages, there were no light sources in the early universe. But as the first stars turned on, things started to change.
These stars emitted intense ultraviolet radiation that ionized the neutral hydrogen around them.
The arrival of these infant galaxies and young stars played a big role in clearing away the cosmic fog.
Studying universe’s distant galaxies:
The images show us tiny, newly formed galaxies that existed less than a billion years after the Big Bang.
This period of reionization was crucial because before this time, the universe was dark and covered in a dense fog of gas. During the cosmic dark ages, there were no light sources in the early universe. But as the first stars turned on, things started to change.
These stars emitted intense ultraviolet radiation that ionized the neutral hydrogen around them.
The arrival of these infant galaxies and young stars played a big role in clearing away the cosmic fog.
Studying universe’s distant galaxies:
An international team of researchers studied the detailed images provided by Webb.
The data they collected offers insights into some of the earliest visible light after reionization. By analyzing young, low-mass galaxies, the researchers showed that these small galaxies were likely the ones that kickstarted reionization.
Studying these early small galaxies was not easy because of their low mass. But thanks to the sensitivity of JWST, researchers were able to study these distant galaxies.
The findings, published in the journal Nature, reveal that these small galaxies produced a significant amount of ionizing photons, exceeding the values usually assumed for distant galaxies. This means that these galaxies played a crucial role in reionizing the universe.
The data they collected offers insights into some of the earliest visible light after reionization. By analyzing young, low-mass galaxies, the researchers showed that these small galaxies were likely the ones that kickstarted reionization.
Studying these early small galaxies was not easy because of their low mass. But thanks to the sensitivity of JWST, researchers were able to study these distant galaxies.
The findings, published in the journal Nature, reveal that these small galaxies produced a significant amount of ionizing photons, exceeding the values usually assumed for distant galaxies. This means that these galaxies played a crucial role in reionizing the universe.
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