The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured images of the Firefly Sparkle, a galaxy resembling an early Milky Way. This discovery could shed light on how our cosmic home formed in the early Universe.
The Milky Way is believed to have formed around 13.5 billion years ago. However, directly observing its formation is impossible due to the recent emission of observable light. Instead, scientists study ancient stars and simulations for clues. A new study published in Nature uses JWST observations to investigate a distant galaxy with a mass similar to the Milky Way’s expected mass at an early age.
This investigation could provide valuable insights into the formation of our galaxy. By studying this galaxy, researchers aim to better understand how the Milky Way came to be.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03849-6