Scientists Confirm 13-Billion-Year-Old Galaxy Has Record-Low Oxygen After 30-Hour Webb Study
Updated
Updated · NHK WORLD · May 14
Scientists Confirm 13-Billion-Year-Old Galaxy Has Record-Low Oxygen After 30-Hour Webb Study
7 articles · Updated · NHK WORLD · May 14
LAP1-B, seen as it was 13 billion years ago, was identified as the most chemically primitive star-forming galaxy yet observed, with the lowest oxygen level ever confirmed in any galaxy.
More than 30 hours of James Webb Space Telescope observations made the detection possible after gravitational lensing amplified light from the ultra-faint galaxy through a massive galaxy cluster.
The finding captures conditions about 800 million years after the Big Bang, when heavy elements such as oxygen were still scarce and only gradually building up across the universe.
Researchers said the result could help explain how the elements that eventually enabled planets and humans were formed and accumulated in space.
What secrets of the universe's first stars are hidden within the chemistry of this 'cosmic fossil' galaxy?
Why do some early galaxies look primitive while others from the same era appear surprisingly mature?
Record-Breaking Oxygen Discovery in JADES-GS-z14-0 Challenges Timeline of Early Galaxy Evolution
Overview
Astronomers made a groundbreaking discovery in March 2024 by detecting oxygen in JADES-GS-z14-0, the most distant galaxy ever observed. Using the powerful ALMA observatory, they confirmed the presence of this heavy element, marking the earliest detection of oxygen in the universe. This finding surprised the scientific community, as it challenges previous beliefs about how quickly galaxies could form and enrich themselves with heavy elements after the Big Bang. The discovery highlights ALMA’s crucial role in revealing the conditions of the universe’s first galaxies and forces scientists to rethink the timeline of galactic evolution.