JADES-GS-z14-0, the oldest galaxy ever discovered, has pushed back the clock on the birth of the first galaxies by 5 billion years. The galaxy was found 13.4 billion light years away from Earth and is the farthest known cluster of stars. This discovery was made possible by data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWSST) and involved an international team of researchers from various institutes and universities.
This study shows that fully developed star systems existed when the universe was only 300 million years old, much earlier than previously thought. This contradicts earlier predictions that such systems could only form in later phases of the universe. JADES-GS-z14-0 formed during what is known as the ‘cosmic dawn’ phase of the universe and is surprisingly bright for its age, having already formed about a billion stars similar to our sun.
The research, led by Stefano Carniani of Scuola Normale di Pisa, demonstrates that the universe was already well developed with star formation similar to later ones. Moreover, JADES-GS-z14-0 is forming new stars at a rate 20 times faster than our Milky Way galaxy. This new data challenges previous theoretical models and opens up new questions about the formation and evolution of galaxies in the early universe.
In conclusion, this discovery provides tangible proof that luminous galaxies existed in the primordial Universe, shedding light on mysteries surrounding star formation in early cosmos. The research will continue to push back the clock on our understanding of how galaxies formed in those early days.
Looking ahead, researchers aim to observe even closer phases to gain deeper insight into its evolutionary process.
