The James Webb Space Telescope has captured its deepest view yet, revealing spinning arcs of light that are galaxies from a distant past. The image took over 120 hours to capture and is considered one of the deepest ever taken of the cosmos.
At the center of the image is massive cluster of galaxies called Abell S1063, which is 4.5 billion light years away. However, it’s not the primary target – the warped arcs around it are what interest scientists. These “galaxies” are actually a result of gravitational lensing, where distant objects bend light from behind them.
The image offers a glimpse into the early universe during the Cosmic Dawn period, when galaxies first formed about 4 million years ago. The image includes nine separate shots in different near-infrared wavelengths.
Since its launch in 2022, the Webb telescope has led to groundbreaking discoveries and challenged scientists’ understanding of the cosmos. One surprising finding is that ancient galaxies are much larger than expected, sparking questions about our current understanding of the universe.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-05-webb-telescope-captures-deep-view.html