Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery about the age of Maisie’s galaxy, which was initially spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in June 2022. Using advanced instruments, scientists have calculated a more accurate age for the galaxy, revealing that it is approximately 13.4 billion years old. While this makes it one of the oldest recorded star systems, it is still slightly younger than the current oldest-known system, JADES-GS-z13-0, which is 70 million years older.
The team of astronomers, led by Steven Finkelstein from the University of Texas at Austin, discovered Maisie’s galaxy last summer. The galaxy was named after Finkelstein’s daughter, as they spotted it on her birthday. Initially, the group estimated that the galaxy was only 290 million years old, but further analysis with advanced equipment revealed that it is actually 100 million years older than previously thought.
What makes Maisie’s galaxy particularly exciting is that it is one of the first distant galaxies identified by the JWST and the first to be spectroscopically confirmed. The spectroscopic confirmation was made possible by the JWST’s Near InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec), which splits an object’s light into different narrow frequencies to accurately determine its chemical composition, heat output, brightness, and motion. By analyzing the redshift of the galaxy, which indicates the motion of light away from the observer, astronomers were able to refine the dating of Maisie’s galaxy. The advanced tools assigned a redshift of z=11.4 to the galaxy, leading to the revised estimate of it being 390 million years after the Big Bang.
In addition to Maisie’s galaxy, the astronomers also examined another system called CEERS-93316. Initially estimated to be 235 million years older than the Big Bang, further study revealed a redshift of z=4.9, placing it at only one billion years after the Big Bang. The initial faulty estimate was due to the galaxy emitting an unusual amount of light in narrow frequency bands associated with oxygen and hydrogen, making it appear bluer than it actually was.
Finkelstein attributes the discrepancy in estimates to bad luck, stating that this was a unique case among the many high redshift candidates observed spectroscopically. He believes that the revised estimate was always the most likely outcome, considering the extreme brightness and apparent high redshift of the galaxy. Trying to explain how such a massive galaxy could have formed so soon after the Big Bang would have been a significant challenge.
The CEERS team is now evaluating approximately 10 more systems that could potentially be older than Maisie’s galaxy. These ongoing studies and discoveries are crucial in expanding our understanding of the early universe and the formation of galaxies.
How does the age of Maisie’s galaxy contribute to our understanding of the early stages of the universe’s formation?
Galaxy’s age so significant is its proximity to the beginning of the universe. Being approximately 13.4 billion years old, it provides a rare glimpse into the early stages of our universe’s formation. The galaxy’s discovery sheds light on the processes that occurred shortly after the Big Bang and offers insights into the evolution of galaxies.
The James Webb Space Telescope, known for its exceptional observational capabilities, played a crucial role in discovering Maisie’s galaxy. Equipped with advanced instruments, it allowed astronomers to explore the deepest parts of space and uncover this ancient star system. The telescope’s unparalleled technology enabled the team to determine the galaxy’s age with unprecedented accuracy.
Steven Finkelstein, the lead astronomer, and his team identified Maisie’s galaxy during their research last summer. Inspired by his daughter, Finkelstein named the galaxy after her as a heartfelt gesture, coinciding with the date they observed it. Initially, they estimated the galaxy’s age at 290 million years, but upon further examination using cutting-edge equipment and techniques, they revised the age to 13.4 billion years.
Although Maisie’s galaxy is among the oldest recorded star systems, it falls slightly short of being the oldest-known system. JADES-GS-z13-0, which was discovered earlier, holds the title for the oldest-known system, being 70 million years older than Maisie’s galaxy.
The significance of Maisie’s galaxy lies not only in its age but also in the implications it carries for our understanding of the universe. By studying ancient galaxies like Maisie’s, astronomers can gather valuable information about the early universe’s conditions, the formation of stars and galaxies, and the processes that shaped our cosmic neighborhood. This new discovery adds to the growing body of knowledge and opens up fresh avenues of exploration in the field of astrophysics.
As researchers continue to utilize advanced technologies and expand our understanding of the cosmos, countless more discoveries like Maisie’s galaxy are bound to come to light. Each revelation brings us closer to unraveling the mysteries of our universe and paints a clearer picture of our origins.
I can’t wait to see what new discoveries this revised age reveals about Maisie’s galaxy!