Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured an image of a distant galaxy resembling Christmas lights, revealing how our Universe formed. The image shows ten clusters of stars in different colors, appearing like ornaments hanging in space.
Scientists have named the galaxy Firefly Sparkle due to its vibrant appearance. It is the first time scientists have witnessed clumps of stars assembling to form a galaxy like the Milky Way. The discovery holds clues on how the Universe was formed.
The JWST’s powerful lensing technology allowed researchers to see this distant galaxy in detail, revealing it as “gorgeous, scientifically important and extremely festive”. Dr Lamiya Mowla of Wellesley College described the finding as a rare moment where scientists can observe a galaxy being formed.
Firefly Sparkle is about 13 billion light-years away, making it one of the most distant galaxies observable by JWST. The light from this galaxy has taken over 13 billion years to reach Earth, giving researchers a glimpse into its early stages.
The star clusters are colored due to their stage in formation, with varying temperatures and compositions. This observation provides insight into the ages and elements within each cluster.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdr0j7625kzo