Did you know that we can now measure the composition of galaxies over 13 billion light-years away? This incredible feat is thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope.
The Data
In this Webb science data, we'll explore this graph, which analyses a distant galaxy in the SMACS 0723 galaxy cluster. The spectrum shows the light emitted by different elements in the galaxy.
By studying this spectrum, astronomers can identify the elements that make up the galaxy, such as hydrogen, oxygen, and neon.
A zoomed-in view presents a red, pixelated galaxy indicating an age of 13.1 billion years, which would have formed just 700 million years after the Big Bang!
This data is helping astronomers to learn more about the formation of galaxies in the early universe. By studying the composition of these galaxies, they can learn about the conditions that existed shortly after the Big Bang.
Explore Further
Our mission with the Webb science is to provide a concise and easily digestible version of the data on Space Ponder but you can learn more about this science in greater detail directly over at the Webb website linked>> Webb's First Deep Field (NIRSpec Emission Spectrum)