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last mo.

Astronomers Detect Oxygen in Most Distant Known Galaxy, Redefining Early Cosmic Evolution

The discovery of oxygen in JADES-GS-z14-0, 13.4 billion light-years away, reveals galaxies formed and matured faster than previously believed.

This is an artist’s impression of JADES-GS-z14-0, which as of today is the most distant confirmed galaxy. Galaxies in the early Universe tend to be clumpy and irregular. Supernova explosions in this galaxy would have spread heavy elements forged inside stars, like oxygen, which has been now detected with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).
This image shows the precise location of the most distant known galaxy, called JADES-GS-z14-0, seen as an extremely tiny dot in the Fornax constellation.
An artist's concept illustrates how the universe might have looked when it was less than 1 billion years old. Star formation voraciously consumed primordial hydrogen, churning out a multitude of stars.

Overview

  • JADES-GS-z14-0, observed as it was 300 million years after the Big Bang, is the most distant confirmed galaxy ever discovered.
  • Astronomers using ALMA detected oxygen in the galaxy, marking the furthest detection of this element in the universe.
  • The galaxy contains 10 times more heavy elements than expected, challenging existing models of galaxy formation and chemical enrichment.
  • The findings suggest galaxies in the early universe formed and matured far more rapidly than previously thought, raising questions about cosmic evolution timelines.
  • The synergy of JWST and ALMA enabled precise distance measurements, narrowing the galaxy's redshift to 14.18 with exceptional accuracy.