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JWST Confirms Record-Distant Galaxy MoM-z14 at Redshift 14.44

NIRSpec spectra reveal an unusually bright, nitrogen-rich galaxy that strains early‑universe models.

Overview

  • Webb’s measurement places MoM‑z14 about 280 million years after the Big Bang, the farthest confirmed galaxy to date.
  • The spectroscopic redshift was secured with JWST’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph, superseding earlier photometric estimates.
  • MoM‑z14’s luminosity fits a growing population of early galaxies far brighter than pre‑Webb predictions.
  • Spectra show unusual nitrogen enrichment and signs that the galaxy is ionizing its surroundings, offering clues to reionization.
  • The team led by Rohan Naidu reports the result in an arXiv preprint submitted to the Open Journal of Astrophysics.