Based on data from the James Webb Telescope, scientists have created the widest image of galaxies in the early universe.
Members of the CEERS project (Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science) have shared Epoch 1, the widest color image of galaxies from the early universe, utilizing data from the James Webb Telescope.
The image was constructed from 690 individual frames, using data collected by the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), the Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), which were then stitched together. Interested readers can download the original image here.
Notable Details
According to Inverse, this is the largest image ever produced by the $10 billion telescope since it became operational. The area covered by the image is over 8 times larger than the First Deep Field, the first color image released by NASA on July 11.
Because the instruments on James Webb can detect data at wavelengths invisible to the human eye, scientists can analyze some of the oldest galaxies, identifying their properties, distances, and chemical compositions.
The entire Epoch 1 and 6 details highlighted by CEERS. (Image: CEERS).
In Epoch 1, the research team focused on 6 galaxies or galaxy clusters. The first is a blue spiral galaxy with a redshift of 0.16, indicating it is not very ancient. The spiral arms of this galaxy are also the site of new star formation.
In astronomy, redshift describes how light from an object shifts toward red as it moves away from the observer, a consequence of the expanding universe. A higher redshift means the observed object is farther away and formed earlier in the universe.
Next is an elliptical galaxy with a redshift of 1.05. Surrounding this elliptical galaxy is an arc of smaller galaxies, all similar in size and distance. Rebecca Larson, an astronomy student at the University of Texas and a member of CEERS, nicknamed this galaxy Pac-Man.
The third notable detail in Epoch 1 consists of a cluster of interacting galaxies located about 9 billion light-years away with a redshift of 1.4. Steven Finkelstein, a researcher at CEERS, gave this galaxy the nickname Space Kraken.
The fourth feature is two interacting spiral galaxies. They were previously captured by the Hubble Telescope with less detail. Comparing the two images, astronomers found a supernova—the process marking the end of an old star’s life. This is also the first supernova discovered by James Webb.
The area of Epoch 1 contains the oldest galaxy ever observed. (Image: CEERS).
The next detail is a clear image of a spiral galaxy from 6.4 billion years ago. Lastly, there is a collection of bright red and orange galaxies that are merging. According to the research team, the sharpness of these galaxies is higher than similar images taken by Hubble.
The Oldest Galaxy Ever Observed
The data in the image may also contain Maisie’s Galaxy, the oldest galaxy ever observed with a redshift of at least 11.8, equivalent to forming 400 million years after the Big Bang.
In a paper published on arXiv in July, the research team suggested that this galaxy could be older, with a redshift reaching 14, forming around 280 million years after the Big Bang. However, further analysis is needed to determine the galaxy’s exact distance.
Maisie’s Galaxy formed approximately 280-400 million years after the Big Bang. (Image: CEERS).
Epoch 1 covers only a small part of the sky, spanning 1.5 arc minutes, about 1/20th the width of the Moon. The image also represents only 40% of the CEERS project’s entire initial observation plan for the James Webb Telescope, which is expected to be completed by December this year.
Launched in December 2021, James Webb officially began operations in July after calibration. It is the successor to the Hubble Telescope, designed to discover ancient stars and galaxies, aiding in the understanding of the universe’s formation history. Its modern instruments allow for the collection of more detailed information than Hubble.
In the near future, scientists aim to discover objects that formed about 100 million years after the Big Bang.
