Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Astronomers have identified five young star clusters, potentially some of the oldest ever observed, dating back to just 460 million years after the Big Bang.
This discovery offers critical insights into the reionization era of the Universe, shedding light on the cosmic processes that occurred during its infancy.
The discovery was led by an international team from Stockholm University, with contributions from researchers in Europe, the US, and Japan.
The star clusters were spotted using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope images obtained through the RELICS programme, utilizing the gravitational lensing effect of the galaxy cluster SPT-CL J0615-5746.
Gravitational lensing allowed astronomers to resolve the infant galaxy down to minute details, revealing where stars formed and their distribution on a scale similar to local galaxy studies.
The James Webb Space Telescope's (Webb) near-infrared capabilities and high angular resolution, aided by gravitational lensing, were instrumental in making this unprecedented discovery.
Lead author Angela Adamo expressed astonishment at the clarity of Webb's images, which revealed a chain of bright dots — the young star clusters — that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
This finding challenges existing theories by suggesting that these early star clusters could be the precursors to ancient globular clusters found in our Milky Way, opening avenues for deeper exploration into their formation and evolution.
The discovery paves the way for further studies on how infant galaxies form stars and evolve into mature structures, offering direct insights into the reionization phase and the role of galaxies in shaping the early Universe.