"Discovery of Farthest Molecules Sheds Light on Early Universe"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Study Finds
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered the most distant molecules ever observed, 12 billion light-years away, in a galaxy from when the universe was only 10 percent of its current age. This was made possible by gravitational lensing, which magnified the light from the galaxy, allowing for detailed observation. The findings include large organic molecules similar to Earth's smog, challenging the assumption that such molecules always indicate star formation. This marks Webb's first detection of complex molecules in the early universe and suggests the potential for more discoveries about the composition of young galaxies.