Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Alex Cameron (Oxford)
A faint dot observed by the James Webb Space Telescope hints at groundbreaking discoveries.
Galaxy GS-NDG-9422 emits light dominated by gas, not stars, a rare phenomenon in astronomy.
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Stars in 9422 reach temperatures over 140,000°F, far hotter than those in the modern universe, noted by theorist Harley Katz.
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A key feature in the spectrum, the Balmer jump, points to extreme hydrogen ionization processes.
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Nebular emissions like free-bound and two-photon dominate the light from this ancient galaxy.
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These findings provide a window into the first billion years after the Big Bang, says lead researcher Alex Cameron of the University of Oxford.
Credit: University of Oxford
9422 may represent a brief, intense phase of star formation with gas emissions eclipsing starlight.
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The galaxy's hot stars may act as analogs for understanding the transition from primordial to modern galaxies.
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Observations mark the beginning of uncovering how galactic evolution unfolded in the early cosmos.
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The study, detailed in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, advances our understanding of cosmic origins.
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