Astronomers Discover Oxygen in Galaxy 13.4 Billion Light-Years Away

INIndia|

Scientists have detected signs of oxygen in the galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0, located 13.4 billion light-years from Earth, during research using the ALMA radio telescope. This discovery, confirmed by astronomers from the Netherlands and Italy, challenges existing theories regarding the early universe's star formation, as reported by the European Southern Observatory.

First identified by the James Webb Space Telescope in 2024, JADES-GS-z14-0 existed when the universe was merely 300 million years old. The presence of oxygen suggests the galaxy contains ten times more heavy elements than expected for galaxies from the “Cosmic Dawn” era, as detailed by astronomer Sander Schouws from Leiden Observatory. He likened the finding to discovering a teenager in a region thought to be populated only by newborns.

These unexpected results indicate that galaxies formed and evolved much more quickly than previously theorized, prompting scientists to reevaluate their understanding of cosmic history, according to Italian astrophysicist Stefano Carniani.

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