galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0
Galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0
Astronomers have detected oxygen in the most distant galaxy ever discovered, forcing scientists to reconsider how quickly the earliest stellar systems evolved after the Big Bang. The unexpected finding, made in a galaxy so remote its light took 13.4 billion years to reach Earth, suggests that complex chemical processes were already underway when the universe was a mere toddler.
Two independent research teams, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile’s high desert, made the same surprising discovery in the galaxy known as JADES-GS-z14-0. The presence of oxygen—an element created within stars and released when they die—indicates this ancient galaxy matured much faster than current models predict.
“It is like finding an adolescent where you would only expect babies,” explains Sander Schouws, a PhD candidate at Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands and lead author of one of the studies. “The results show the galaxy has formed very rapidly and is also maturing rapidly, adding to a growing body of evidence that the formation of galaxies happens much faster than was expected.”
When astronomers peer into the deepest reaches of space, they’re effectively looking back in time. The light from JADES-GS-z14-0 began its journey when the universe was less than 300 million years old—a mere 2% of its current age. According to conventional understanding, galaxies at this stage should primarily contain only the simplest elements like hydrogen and helium, which formed shortly after the Big Bang.
Chemical Maturity Defies Expectations
Heavier elements like oxygen are forged through nuclear fusion within stars and are typically scattered throughout galaxies when those stars expire. Finding significant amounts of oxygen in such a primordial galaxy challenges astronomers’ timeline for how quickly stars live, die, and enrich their surroundings.
The findings indicate JADES-GS-z14-0 contains approximately ten times more heavy elements than theoretical models predicted for its age, suggesting a remarkably accelerated evolution.
“I was astonished by the unexpected results because they opened a new view on the first phases of galaxy evolution,” says Stefano Carniani of the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, Italy, who led the second research team. “The evidence that a galaxy is already mature in the infant Universe raises questions about when and how galaxies formed.”
The discovery became possible through the collaborative power of two of astronomy‘s most advanced tools. While the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) initially identified the galaxy last year, it was ALMA’s specialized capabilities that confirmed the presence of oxygen and provided extraordinary precision in determining its cosmic distance.
Precision That Defies Imagination
The measurements made with ALMA are remarkably precise—pinpointing the galaxy’s distance with an uncertainty of just 0.005 percent.
“This level of precision—analogous to being accurate within 5 cm over a distance of 1 km—helps refine our understanding of distant galaxy properties,” explains Eleonora Parlanti, a PhD student at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa and co-author of one study.
The technical achievement highlights the complementary nature of today’s most advanced astronomical instruments. As Associate Professor Rychard Bouwens from Leiden Observatory notes, “While the galaxy was originally discovered with the James Webb Space Telescope, it took ALMA to confirm and precisely determine its enormous distance. This shows the amazing synergy between ALMA and JWST to reveal the formation and evolution of the first galaxies.”
Rewriting Cosmic History
For astronomers not involved in the studies, the findings are prompting significant reassessment of galaxy formation theories. Gergö Popping, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory’s ALMA Regional Centre, expressed surprise at the clear detection of oxygen.
“I was really surprised by this clear detection of oxygen in JADES-GS-z14-0,” says Popping. “It suggests galaxies can form more rapidly after the Big Bang than had previously been thought. This result showcases the important role ALMA plays in unraveling the conditions under which the first galaxies in our Universe formed.”
Both research teams have submitted their findings to prestigious astronomical journals, with Carniani’s team’s paper accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Schouws’ team’s research accepted by The Astrophysical Journal.
This discovery adds to mounting evidence that the earliest cosmic structures evolved more rapidly than current theories suggest. In astronomy, where direct observation of celestial processes often occurs on timescales far exceeding human lifetimes, such glimpses into the universe’s ancient past provide crucial constraints for theoretical models.
The detection marks the most distant confirmed observation of oxygen in the universe to date. As more powerful instruments come online and existing facilities like ALMA and JWST continue their surveys, astronomers anticipate further challenges to conventional wisdom about how quickly the first generation of stars and galaxies assembled from the primordial soup of elements left over from the Big Bang.
For now, this cosmic teenager appearing in the infant universe serves as a reminder that our understanding of the universe’s earliest chapters remains incomplete—and that the cosmos still holds surprises even in its most distant and ancient corners.
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