All articles tagged with #cosmic history
Canadian astronomers used JWST data to create the most detailed timeline of the Milky Way's evolution, revealing a turbulent early history with frequent galaxy mergers and intense star formation, followed by a transition to a stable spiral galaxy.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has observed the oldest supernova, GRB 250314A, dating back to when the universe was only 730 million years old, providing new insights into early star deaths and galaxy formation.
The article discusses nine major unresolved questions in our understanding of cosmic history, including the origins of cosmic inflation, the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the formation of the first stars, and the ultimate fate of the universe, highlighting the ongoing mysteries and the limits of current scientific knowledge.
A new study suggests that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS may originate from the ancient frontier of the Milky Way, potentially being billions of years old and originating from the galaxy's early disk, based on its trajectory and lack of significant stellar interactions over the past 4 million years.
The article explores whether life could have begun when the universe was at room temperature (~300K), concluding that it was unlikely because the formation of stars and heavy elements necessary for life occurred much later, after the universe cooled below that temperature.
The James Webb Space Telescope revisited the iconic Hubble Ultra Deep Field, capturing detailed infrared images of about 2,500 galaxies, including some from just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, to deepen our understanding of galaxy formation and cosmic evolution.
Astronomers have discovered a rare, ancient 'fossil galaxy' called KiDS J0842+0059, located 3 billion light-years away, which has remained unchanged for billions of years, providing valuable insights into early galaxy formation and the universe's history.
The article explains that the 'first stars' in the universe, known as Population III stars, formed from pristine hydrogen and helium shortly after the Big Bang, around 50-100 million years later, and were much larger and shorter-lived than stars today. Despite advanced telescopes like JWST, these first stars have not yet been observed directly, but their formation is predicted by simulations based on cosmic evolution models.
The James Webb Space Telescope has advanced our understanding of distant galaxies but is unlikely to detect the very first stars due to cosmic extinction. Future telescopes focusing on longer wavelengths, such as far-infrared or radio observations from the Moon's far side, hold promise for uncovering the universe's earliest stellar populations, potentially revealing the first stars formed after the Big Bang.
An international team of astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered two of the earliest and most distant galaxies, dating back to just 300 million years after the Big Bang. These galaxies, located near the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, were observed through JWST's advanced infrared capabilities, revealing significant star formation and chemical elements. The findings, part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), suggest that even more ancient galaxies could soon be discovered. The research papers are currently awaiting peer review.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered the most distant galaxy ever found, JADES-GS-z14-0, which dates back to just 285 million years after the Big Bang. This discovery has provided five key insights: not all early galaxies are compact, some ultra-distant galaxy candidates are incorrect, some galaxies are hidden by closer interlopers, the new record-holder is unexpectedly bright, and it is extremely dust-poor. These findings continue to enhance our understanding of the early Universe.
The first data from the Euclid telescope, part of the Dark Energy Satellite Mission, has been released, revealing new insights into the universe's distant past. The data includes images of the Perseus cluster, free-floating planets, new dwarf galaxies, and very distant bright galaxies. The findings highlight Euclid's potential to revolutionize our understanding of dark energy and galaxy formation.
Astronomers using the Gaia space telescope have discovered two ancient streams of stars, named Shakti and Shiva, which are remnants of galaxies that merged with an early version of the Milky Way over 12 billion years ago. These streams provide insights into the galaxy's earliest days and its evolution, shedding light on how the Milky Way grew in size by merging with other galaxies. The unprecedented data from Gaia has enabled the detection of these ancient structures, contributing to a fuller understanding of the Milky Way's cosmic history.
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed images of black holes and ultramassive galaxies, with Dr. Caitlin Casey set to lead a lecture at the University of Texas on the telescope's discoveries, including mature galaxies and large black holes within the first billion years of cosmic history. The lecture will showcase recent findings and new Deep Field images from JWST, containing a million galaxies, offering a glimpse into the universe's early days.
Physicists have developed a method to detect ultralow frequency gravitational waves, potentially unlocking the secrets of early supermassive black hole mergers. These waves, with frequencies as low as 10 picohertz, are 100 times slower than any previously measured gravitational waves. By analyzing pulsar data, researchers hope to differentiate between the origins of these waves, whether from supermassive black hole mergers or cataclysmic events in the early universe, shedding light on cosmic history.