The James Webb Space Telescope, a revolutionary tool in the world of astronomy, has recently made groundbreaking discoveries about the first generation of stars to exist in the universe. In the most distant galaxy known to us, GN-z11, the JWST has found evidence of Population III stars.
These Population III stars are unique in that they are made up of only hydrogen and helium, with no heavy elements. The spectrum of ionized helium near the galaxy suggests the presence of these first stars, which would have been extremely luminous. Additionally, the huge amounts of ultraviolet light being emitted in GN-z11 also point towards the existence of these ancient stars.
But that’s not all the JWST has uncovered. The telescope has also found evidence for a two-million-solar-mass black hole at the core of GN-z11. This discovery confirms the presence of extremely dense gas and powerful radiation in the galaxy.
GN-z11, located in the constellation of Ursa Major, has a redshift of 10.6, meaning we are seeing it as it existed just 430 million years after the Big Bang. This discovery has allowed researchers to gain crucial insights into how galaxies grew in the early universe.
Leading the team behind these discoveries is Roberto Maiolino of the University of Cambridge. The findings in GN-z11 challenge existing models of galaxy formation and shed light on the formation and evolution of galaxies and stars in the early universe. The James Webb Space Telescope continues to push the boundaries of what we know about the cosmos, opening up new avenues of research and understanding.
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