Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Hidden in the cosmos, 44 stars were detected in a galaxy 6.5 billion light-years away using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), sparking new revelations about the early universe.
Credit: NASA
The stars were found in a magnified crescent of light called the “Dragon Arc,” revealed by gravitational lensing—an effect predicted by Einstein and amplified by the galaxy cluster Abell 370.
Credit: NASA
Gravitational lensing magnified these stars by factors of hundreds to thousands, making them visible at an unprecedented distance.
Most of the stars detected are red supergiants, immense celestial bodies like Betelgeuse that play a key role in creating heavy elements and shaping the universe.
The galaxy cluster’s dark matter halo acted as a "macrolens," with unbound stars within the cluster serving as "microlenses," further boosting the magnification.
These stars offer a rare look at the early universe when galaxies were forming, shedding light on the processes that shaped the cosmos.
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Red supergiants emit immense energy and are vital to understanding how carbon and oxygen, the building blocks of life, were seeded in the universe.
Credit: NASA
The lensing effect also maps dark matter in the galaxy cluster, offering crucial data about this mysterious substance that comprises 85% of the universe.
Representative pic
Astronomers plan to use JWST to locate more magnified stars, unlocking new details about star formation and the universe’s early structure.