Earliest Known Galaxy Discovered: Unlike Anything We’ve Seen

In a groundbreaking study, scientists have identified the earliest known galaxy, presenting a significant challenge to current theories on galaxy formation in space.

The newly discovered galaxy, named JADES-GS-z14-0, shines brightly in the early Universe and is believed to have formed less than 300 million years after the Big Bang.

Another recent discovery, JADES-GS-z14-1, has also been observed as a distant galaxy.

Astronomers have declared these detections as “unambiguous,” suggesting that the Cosmic Dawn, the period following the Big Bang, might require some re-evaluation.

In a statement, astronomers Stefano Carniani from Scuola Normale Superiore in Italy and Kevin Hainline from the University of Arizona said, “In January 2024, NIRSpec observed JADES-GS-z14-0 for nearly ten hours. The processed spectrum provided clear evidence that the galaxy is indeed at a redshift of 14.32, breaking the previous record for the most distant galaxy.”

They added, “The images show that the galaxy spans over 1,600 light-years, indicating that the light primarily comes from young stars rather than from emissions near a growing supermassive black hole.”

The astronomers further explained, “This amount of starlight suggests that the galaxy has a mass several hundred million times that of the Sun. This raises the question: How could such a bright, massive, and large galaxy form in less than 300 million years?”

Scientists are working to decode the Cosmic Dawn and understand space transparency
The researchers have published three separate papers on this topic, with a new one appearing in Nature.

All three papers conclude that JADES-GS-z14-0 serves as a critical data point, offering new insights into the early formation of the Universe.

Currently, little is known about the Cosmic Dawn period, the first billion years after the Big Bang.

During this period, neutral hydrogen created a fog in the early Universe, scattering light and preventing it from spreading.

However, this fog was eventually ionized and cleared by ultraviolet light emitted from early Universe objects. By the end of the Cosmic Dawn, space had become transparent.