This is exactly what the James Webb Space Telescope promised us. Just over a week ago, the world’s collective jaw dropped to the floor when the first stunning images were revealed. Now the telescope is properly embarking on its myriad science programs, but researchers have already had access to a ton of data collected during JWST’s commissioning phase and released early to researchers around the world. That’s how we ended up finding “the oldest galaxy” so quickly. Scientists looked at a particular data set looking for distant galaxies and found a candidate they’ve named GL-z13, a nod to the current confirmed record holder, GNz11. More work needs to be done to confirm that GL-z13 is in fact the new record holder – some of which will require more time to show Webb in the galaxy – but even so, several publications have already crowned this one. galaxy world champion. So how did we get here? And is this the “oldest galaxy” ever seen? In the past 24 hours, two different research groups have uploaded papers (one here and one here ) to the arXiv detailing their search for very distant galaxies in the James Webb data. The “arXiv” website (I pronounce it “ark-siv” because I’m a heathen, but others assure me it’s pronounced “archive”) is a preprint repository, a place where scientists can drop off studies so they can be quickly disseminated to peers. It’s a great place to quickly release new research into the world, particularly in astronomy and astrophysics, with the caveat that the findings haven’t usually been peer-reviewed – an important checkpoint for validating the study and its methods.
Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope images compared: See the difference
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I don’t want to throw the party for the GL-z13, but I do want to show some attention. In communicating the findings with such certainty, there is a chance that readers will lose faith in the scientists if GL-z13 turns out to be something else entirely. Several astronomers I spoke to believe the data are quite compelling and the galaxy is likely very far away, but until confirmation is available, GL-z13 can’t claim the title of “oldest galaxy.” And for some, even that title itself is a bit misleading. You see, GL-Z13 isn’t actually “the oldest galaxy ever” – it’s from a time when the universe was only 330 million years old. The light from this galaxy? Well, yes, it is very old. It has traveled a long time to reach JWST. But the galaxy itself, if confirmed, is probably the youngest ever seen, according to Nick Seymour, an astrophysicist at Curtin University in Western Australia. “In the 330 million years since the Big Bang, it can’t be more than 100 million years at best,” Seymour said. “So this is really a baby galaxy at the dawn of time.” Getting excited about record-breaking space achievements is a given. As a science journalist, I do this almost every day. But when reporting new discoveries, it’s important to convey uncertainty. In headlines, in social posts, in the way we discuss scientific progress. We need to set the right benchmark and stay in that uncertainty. The story of the GL-z13 is great and it’s just beginning. Astronomers now have to study it much more to make sure the distances are correct. “There’s obviously a lot of work to be done, but it’s really a look at where things are going with James Webb,” said Michael Brown, an astrophysicist at Monash University. It wasn’t until April, before Webb swept the universe, that astronomers announced they might have discovered the most distant galaxy to date, HD1. This galaxy is believed to come from a time when the universe was about 330 million years old. Brown noted at the time that it’s worth being cautious about handing the title to HD1 because the data may point to a galaxy billions of light years closer to Earth. To confirm its distance, just like with the GL-z13, we need more observations. Do you know which telescope can do this? You guessed it: JWST. We’re fascinated by record breaking, but perhaps the most interesting point of all is that if Webb works as expected (and it appears to be working better than even scientists dreamed), the title for “oldest galaxy” will change. hands as much as WWE’s 24/7 Hardcore Championship. We will find new galaxies even further back in time at a rate we could not have dreamed of. If so, I hope it won’t be long before the record falls. Updated July 22nd: Changed heading, added context to older galaxy paragraph.
