Astronomers discovered five young star clusters in the Cosmic Gems arc, a strongly-lensed galaxy from the epoch of reionization.
Gravitational lensing allowed scientists to see distant galaxies in fine detail despite their great distance from Earth, making this observation a unique opportunity to look relatively closely at the beginnings of our universe.
Star cluster formation and feedback likely contributed to shaping the properties of galaxies during the epoch of reionization. The Cosmic Gems arc observations have opened a window for scientists into the works of infant galaxies and shown where globular clusters formed.
The smallest features resolved in this galaxy are between a few hundreds and a few tens of parsecs. These star clusters exhibit minimal dust attenuation, low metallicity, ages younger than 50 Myr, and intrinsic masses less than 106 M☉.
This discovery offers new insights into galaxies during the epoch of reionization and helps scientists understand how stars and galaxies formed in the first place.
In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have observed five young star clusters in the Cosmic Gems arc, a strongly-lensed galaxy that emitted light when the universe was approximately 460 million years old. This finding provides direct evidence of proto-globular clusters forming in infant galaxies during the reionization era.
The Cosmic Gems arc is among the brightest and highly magnified galaxies observed at redshift z < 10.21, yet it is an intrinsically UV faint galaxy. The smallest features resolved in a galaxy at a comparable redshift are between a few hundreds and a few tens of parsecs. These star clusters exhibit minimal dust attenuation, low metallicity, ages younger than 50 Myr, and intrinsic masses of < 106 M☉.
The discovery of these star clusters offers new insights into galaxies during the epoch of reionization and helps scientists understand how stars and galaxies formed in the first place. Gravitational lensing allows scientists to see distant galaxies in fine detail despite their great distance from Earth, making this observation a unique opportunity to look relatively closely at the beginnings of our universe.
Star cluster formation and feedback likely contributed to shaping the properties of galaxies during the epoch of reionization. The Cosmic Gems arc observations have opened a window for scientists into the works of infant galaxies and shown where globular clusters formed.
The study was led by Angela Adamo from Stockholm University, with contributions from various international collaborators including ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA. The findings were published in the journal Nature.
An international team of astronomers has discovered gravitationally bound star clusters in the Cosmic Gems arc, a strongly-lensed galaxy emitting light when the universe was roughly 460 million years old.
These results provide direct evidence that proto-globular clusters formed in faint galaxies during the reionization era.
The new images from Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope show the galaxy Cosmic Gems arc, which is notable for exhibiting gravitational lensing effect.
The light from the Cosmic Gems arc originated when the universe was only 460 million years old.
Scientists were able to observe five young massive star clusters inside the infant galaxy using gravitational lensing.
The observations of Cosmic Gems arc offer new insights into galaxies during the ‘Epoch of Reionization’ and help scientists understand how stars and galaxies formed in the first place.
Gravitational lensing allows scientists to see distant galaxies in fine detail despite their great distance from Earth.
A new study reveals five compact clusters of stars in the Cosmic Gems Arc, which could provide insights into the early universe.
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Accuracy
These clusters may contain some of the first stars in the universe and shed light on the Epoch of Reionization.
Astronomers can see the Cosmic Gems Arc as it was just 460 million years after the universe formed, during the era of reionization.
Five star clusters have been observed in the Cosmic Gems with sizes smaller than 70 parsec, minimal dust attenuation, low metallicity, ages younger than 50 Myr and intrinsic masses of < 106 Mₒ.
The Cosmic Gems arc is among the brightest and highly magnified galaxies observed at redshift z < 10.21.
Five star clusters have been observed in the Cosmic Gems with sizes smaller than 70 parsec, minimal dust attenuation, low metallicity, ages younger than 50 Myr and intrinsic masses of < 106 M☉.
These star clusters are consistent with being gravitationally bound stellar systems, i.e., proto-globular clusters (proto-GCs).
Star cluster formation and feedback likely contributed to shaping the properties of galaxies during the epoch of reionization.
Accuracy
It is an intrinsically UV faint galaxy, in the range of those now thought to drive the reionization of the universe.
Five star clusters have been observed in the Cosmic Gems with sizes smaller than 70 parsec, minimal dust attenuation, low metallicity, ages younger than 50 Myr and intrinsic masses of < 106 M⊙.
Their lensing-corrected sizes are approximately 1 pc and result in stellar surface densities near 105 M⊙ /pc2.
