James Webb telescope finds that galaxies in the early universe were much more chaotic than we thought

When the James Webb Space Telescope examined young galaxies with its Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), it uncovered the messy early stages 

of formation in these distant objects. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, B. Robertson (UC Santa Cruz), B. Johnson (CfA), S. Tacchella 

(Cambridge), P. Cargile (CfA))

Like cosmic toddlers, galaxies in the young universe were messy and had difficulty settling down, a new study shows.

Using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists peered at more than 250 galaxies in the early universe. The research team charted the movement of gas long ago, when the universe was growing up — between 800 million and 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. (The cosmos is roughly 13.8 billion years old.)

Their findings, published Tuesday (Oct. 21) in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, show that galaxies were restless in their youth.     

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James Webb Spots Intense Auroras on Nearby Rogue Planet

What can auroras on a rogue planet teach astronomers about planetary formation and evolution? This is what a recent study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated the atmospheric composition of a nearby rogue planet, including its atmospheric temperature and auroras. 

This study has the potential to help astronomers better understand rogue planets, along with additional planetary atmospheric formation and evolutionary traits.

For the study, the researchers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to examine SIMP-0136, which is a rogue planet located approximately 20 light-years from Earth while being approximately 12.7 times the mass and approximately 1.2 times the radius of Jupiter.

Additionally, SIMP-0136 only has a rotational period of 2.4 hours, enabling the researchers to observe all aspects of the rogue planet. Additionally, the researchers used a series of computer models to better understand their observations.

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Webb Telescope Spots Possible Signs of Atmosphere on “Goldilocks” Exoplanet

This artist’s concept portrays the seven rocky exoplanets within the TRAPPIST-1 system, located 40 light-years 

from Earth. Credit: NASA and JPL/Caltech

JWST data hints that Trappist-1e may have an atmosphere. More transits will test if this world could support liquid water.

Recent observations with NASA’s advanced JWST telescope have revealed a planet located 41 light-years from Earth that may possess an atmosphere. This planet orbits within the “habitable zone,” the region around a star where temperatures allow liquid water to remain on the surface of a rocky body. Water is essential because it is one of the fundamental requirements for sustaining life.

If upcoming observations verify these results, this would represent the first time a rocky planet in a star’s habitable zone has been confirmed to hold an atmosphere. The research is detailed in two studies published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.

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A Glittering Stellar Nursery Shines In New JWST Image

Pismis 24-1 is in the Pismis 24 star cluster. The star is in the center of this image, where the filament of gas points upward. 

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI, A. Pagan (STScI)

The JWST has a well-earned reputation for delivering incredible images of the cosmos. From its very first image, the powerful space telescope has regularly wowed us with images of galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and other cosmic objects. One of the telescope's main science themes concerns the birth of stars, and in a new image, the JWST zoomed in on Pismis 24-1, a brilliant young star in the Pismis 24 cluster.

The Pismis 24 cluster an active star forming region more than 5,000 light-years away in the Lobster Nebula. Pismis 24-1 is the brightest star in the cluster, and it and the entire cluster represent one of astronomers' best opportunities to study the birth of stars.

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New research finds the universe is twice as old as we previously thought

New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest the cosmos may be much older than once believed. For decades, scientists have held that the universe is about 13.8 billion years old. That number now faces serious doubt, thanks to the telescope’s groundbreaking data.

The JWST wasn’t just designed for clearer images—it was built to peer deeper into time than ever before. Its precision and range allow it to detect light from the earliest galaxies, opening a window into the universe’s youth. And what it's seeing doesn’t match the script cosmologists have followed for years.

Some of the most puzzling finds have been dubbed “impossible early galaxies.” These ancient structures appear to have formed just 500 to 800 million years after the Big Bang. But that’s where the problem lies: they look far too developed for their supposed age.

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Are We Finally Not Alone? Webb Detects Life’s Signature on Distant Ocean Planet

They’ve detected sulfur-based molecules in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b that, on Earth, are only produced by living organisms. While the evidence isn’t conclusive yet, it matches predictions for a “Hycean” world — one potentially covered in oceans and capable of hosting microbial life. If further observations confirm these findings, it could mark a turning point in our search for extraterrestrial life.

Possible Biosignature Found on Distant Exoplanet
Astronomers have found the most compelling potential signs of life yet beyond our solar system — but they’re interpreting the results with caution.

Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team led by the University of Cambridge has identified possible traces of the molecules dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and/or dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b. This planet orbits within the habitable zone of its star, where conditions might allow liquid water to exist.

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The James Webb Telescope Discovers a Flaw in Our Theory of the Universe – Nothing is as We Thought

Scientists using the James Webb and Hubble space telescopes have confirmed one of the biggest head-scratchers in modern physics—the universe isn’t expanding at a single, consistent rate. Instead, its growth seems to vary depending on which direction we observe.

A cosmic puzzle that won’t go away
This issue, called the Hubble Tension, could shake the very foundations of cosmology. In 2019, data from the Hubble Space Telescope proved this wasn’t just a fluke. Then, in 2023, even sharper measurements from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) sealed the deal, making it clear that something about our understanding of the cosmos isn’t quite adding up.

Now, after a thorough triple-check using both the James Webb and Hubble telescopes, scientists have ruled out any chance that this mismatch is just a measurement mistake. The study, published on February 6 in Astrophysical Journal Letters, points to a much bigger issue —our understanding of the universe might be seriously off track.

“As we’ve eliminated errors in measurement, what we’re left with is the thrilling and unsettling reality that we may have been interpreting the cosmos all wrong,” said Adam Riess, a professor of physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University and the study’s lead author.

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James Webb Space Telescope Validates Expansion

Through the lens of the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, scientists are zeroing in on the Hubble Constant, a vital measure that indicates the universe’s expansion rate.

Recent studies, especially those involving the JWST, have provided more precise measurements, crucial for understanding the universe’s broader properties.

Understanding the Hubble Constant
In recent years, we’ve witnessed incredible advancements in our understanding of the universe, thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Both telescopes have revolutionized astronomy, uncovering stunning discoveries. 

Among their shared focus has been refining the Hubble Constant, a key measurement that links the speed at which distant galaxies are moving away with their distances. A recent study confirms that JWST has validated earlier findings from HST, providing more precision in this critical measurement.     READ MORE...

Surprise Planet Discovery

New research reveals a fourth planet in the Kepler-51 system, altering our understanding of this unique system with three known ultra-low density “super-puff” planets.

Researchers utilized a range of telescopes, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, to detect unexpected transit timing variations that suggested the presence of an additional planet. This discovery adds complexity to the system’s dynamics and poses new questions about the formation and characteristics of these rare super-puff planets.

New Planet Discovered in Kepler-51 System
A team of researchers from Penn State and Osaka University has discovered that an unusual planetary system, known for its three ultra-low density “super-puff” planets, includes at least one more planet. While observing Kepler-51d, the third planet in the system, with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the team encountered a surprise: the planet transited its star two hours earlier than predicted by existing models.

To solve the mystery, the researchers analyzed both new and archival data from a range of space- and ground-based telescopes. Their investigation led to a compelling explanation: a previously undetected fourth planet, whose gravitational influence affects the orbits of the other planets in the system.

This groundbreaking discovery is detailed in a paper published on December 3 in the Astronomical Journal.     READ MORE...

Ancient Galaxies Challenging Cosmic Theories

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the largest and most advanced space telescope ever constructed, has been making remarkable discoveries since its launch in December 2021. Among its achievements is the identification of the earliest and most distant galaxies known, which formed just 300 million years after the Big Bang.

When we observe distant objects in space, we are also looking far back in time. This is because the light from these objects takes billions of years to reach our telescopes. Through the JWST, astronomers have detected several of these ancient galaxies, providing us a glimpse of the universe as it appeared shortly after its inception.

Surprising Brightness of Early Galaxies
The data collected by the JWST aligns well with existing theories of cosmology—the study of the universe’s origin and evolution—and galaxy formation. However, these observations have also brought some surprises. Notably, many of these early galaxies are much brighter than expected, challenging previous assumptions about galaxy brightness and activity shortly after the Big Bang.     READ MORE...

Our Universe is OLDER Than Originally Believed

In a groundbreaking discovery, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has presented data that directly challenges our current understanding of the universe. For years, cosmologists have pegged the universe's age at approximately 13.8 billion years. Yet, the new JWST findings suggest that this may be a vast underestimation. But how has one telescope managed to disrupt such a long-held belief?


The universe's secrets are vast, but none has been as puzzling as the presence of 'impossible early galaxies'—so named due to their peculiar formation periods.


According to existing models, these galaxies, emerging during the cosmic dawn, roughly 500 to 800 million years post-big bang, shouldn't have evolved disks and bulges so quickly. "It's akin to seeing a toddler with the wisdom of an octogenarian," says a scientist, explaining the paradox.     READ MORE...

Galaxy with Impossible Light Signature

This region of space, viewed first iconically by Hubble and later by JWST, shows an animation that switches between the two. Both images still have fundamental limitations, as they were acquired from within our inner Solar System, where the presence of zodiacal light influences the noise floor of our instruments and cannot easily be removed. The extra presence of point-like red objects in JWST images, also known as “little red dots,” has finally been explained, but other puzzles still remain.






Since its launch in December of 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has spotted record-setting objects all across the Universe, including at the greatest distances ever seen.

Many distant galaxies are energetic and show signatures of emission lines from specific atoms and molecules, particularly hydrogen. However, the Lyman-α line has never been seen earlier than 550 million years after the Big Bang.

Until now. With the discovery and spectroscopic follow-up on galaxy JADES-GS-z13-1-LA, we now have strong evidence for that emission line from a galaxy just 326 million years after the Big Bang. The question is: how?              READ MORE...

The Early Universe at Cosmic Dawn

The Cosmic Gems is one of the most highly magnified objects in space, thanks to a phenomenon called gravitational lensing. (Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, L. Bradley (STScI), A. Adamo (Stockholm University) and the Cosmic Spring collaboration)





Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have observed five extremely dense proto-globular clusters along a hair-thin arc of glittering stars. The discovery could help them understand how the earliest galaxies formed.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered what could be the earliest star clusters in the universe.  JWST spotted the five proto-globular clusters — swarms of millions of stars bound together by gravity — inside the Cosmic Gems arc, a galaxy that formed just 460 million years after the Big Bang.


The Cosmic Gems arc gets its name from its appearance: When seen from our solar system, the star-studded galaxy looks like a hair-thin crescent due to the powerful gravitational influence of a foreground galaxy, which magnifies and distorts the distant galaxy's appearance.     READ MORE...

Large Structure in Space

The universe is more connected than you might think: In recent years, scientists have used new tools and techniques to map the “cosmic web,” which is made up of intertwined strands of gas structures known as filaments that link galaxies. Now, a team of researchers have identified a new “large-scale structure” in the universe that they call the “Cosmic Vine.”

The researchers hail from numerous universities and institutions across Denmark, Chile, the U.K., and the Netherlands. They published a preprint of their work to the arXiv server on November 8. According to the study, the Cosmic Vine was spotted after poring over data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), humanity’s most powerful tool for peering into the far reaches of space and time.  READ MORE...

IMAX Movie DEEP SKY

Featured in the IMAX® documentary DEEP SKY, this mosaic image stretches 340 light-years across. JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) displays the Tarantula Nebula star-forming region in a new light, including tens of thousands of never-before-seen young stars that were previously shrouded in cosmic dust. [Photo: NASA]




Director Nathaniel Kahn probed the world of art sales in 2018’s The Price of Everything and the search for extraterrestrial life in 2021’s Emmy-winning Hunt for Planet B. His latest film, however, goes where no man has gone before: a million miles from Earth.


Deep Sky, a 40-minute Imax original documentary about NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) that opened yesterday, showcases the mind-blowing images captured by the $10-billion telescope, which started beaming pictures of stars, nebulae, galaxies, planets, and a massive black hole back to Earth in July 2022. 

It is surely the most expensive “camera” Kahn, or any filmmaker, has had the privilege to work with, and viewed on nearly 100-foot-tall screens, the footage becomes transporting.


Kahn, who also wrote and produced the film, spoke with Fast Company about what drew him to the project, what the telescope’s “non-optical” electromagnetic spectrum revealed, and why it gives him hope for life on Earth.  READ MORE...

Telescopes Uses Ripples in TIME

The first JWST image of Earendel, the most distant star known in our universe, 

lensed and magnified ... NASA, ESA, CSA, STSCI

Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have imaged the most distant star ever observed thanks to a a ripple in spacetime that creates extreme magnification.


It’s currently 28 billion light-years away and its light has traveled 12.9 billion years into JWST’s optics. It existed just 900 million years after the big bang in a galaxy astronomers have nicknamed the Sunrise Arc.

The image of WHL0137-LS, above, was produced from over three hours of observations last weekend—but it’s not the star you think! Ignore the spiky star and instead go to the lower right-hand side (see below).


The ancient star is estimated to have a mass greater than 50 times the mass of the Sun.


Better known as “Earendel,” which means “morning star” or “rising light” in old English—was gravitationally lensed and magnified by a massive galaxy cluster called WHL0137–08 (a.k.a. “Sunrise Arc”) in the foreground.  READ MORE...