The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which has been making a name for itself since NASA’s inception, has recently made a new discovery. According to the statement made by scientists, the image of the oldest galaxy ever observed has been obtained through the telescope.
Shared reports show that NASA’s new space telescope has detected light from a galaxy called GLASS-z13, which is estimated to be 13.5 billion years old. It is estimated that the GLASS-z13 galaxy formed 300 million years after the Big Bang, which is considered the beginning of the universe. Let’s also add as a note; The oldest galaxy discovery so far was the GN-Z1 galaxy, which Hubble discovered in 2016 and is thought to have formed 400 million years after the Big Bang.
James Webb discovered two oldest galaxies in the universe of similar age
The researchers also discovered another galaxy called GLASS-z11, which they think is close to the same age as GLASS-z13. JWST imaged these two older galaxies using the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument. NIRCam has a wide spectrum of infrared light that analyzes the time light spends in space.
Researchers report that the two galaxies discovered are actually very small. The observed galaxy z13 is estimated to be 1,600 light-years across, while z11 is estimated to be 2,300 light-years across. For comparison, the average size of the Milky Way Galaxy is stated to be 100,000 light-years in diameter.
NASA’s James Webb telescope can peer into the farthest reaches of the known universe. The discoveries he made a week after his inauguration could precede even greater discoveries in the future. A closer observation of the Big Bang is planned with the telescope.
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