Illuminating the Early Universe: Emerging from Cosmic Darkness.

The early universe, known as the Cosmic Dark Ages, was devoid of light sources, consisting of a hot soup of subatomic particles that formed ionized atoms. As it cooled, these atoms became neutral, allowing light to travel freely. This era transitioned to the epoch of reionization, where ultraviolet light ionized these atoms again. The source of this UV light is still under investigation. Advances in technology have enabled astronomers to observe distant stars and early galaxies, yet many mysteries about the early universe remain. The Extremely Large Telescope, currently under construction in Chile, will be instrumental in understanding the early Universe.