James Webb Telescope Reveals Early Milky Way-Like Galaxy in Formation

The Firefly Sparkle galaxy, observed 600 million years after the Big Bang, offers unprecedented insight into the early stages of galaxy development.

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified the Firefly Sparkle galaxy, a low-mass galaxy forming stars 600 million years after the Big Bang.
The galaxy's mass is comparable to what the Milky Way's mass might have been during its early stages of development.
Gravitational lensing by a massive foreground galaxy cluster amplified the Firefly Sparkle's light, allowing detailed observation of its 10 distinct star clusters.
Researchers confirmed that the galaxy's star formation occurred in staggered phases, with clumps of stars in various stages of formation and evolution.
Two nearby companion galaxies, likely interacting with the Firefly Sparkle, may influence its growth and assembly over billions of years.