Overview

• The James Webb Space Telescope released a new image showcasing thousands of galaxies in the COSMOS-Web field, with some observed as they appeared 6.5 billion years ago.
• The COSMOS-Web programme combines infrared data from Webb and Hubble with X-ray observations from ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s Chandra to map galaxy evolution over cosmic history.
• This composite image reveals hot gas within a galaxy group, captured through X-ray overlays, offering insights into intergalactic dynamics and star formation processes.
• Webb’s advanced infrared capabilities allow scientists to detect faint, distant galaxies, tracing structures back to when the universe was just 1.9 billion years old.
• The survey aims to deepen understanding of how galaxies interact and merge to form massive gravitationally bound clusters, the largest structures in the universe.