Image Reveals the Most Distant Galaxy Ever Seen, From Just 280 Million Years After the Big Bang

The James Webb Space Telescope’s latest find is yet another record-breaker: the most distant galaxy ever detected, shining just 280 million years after the Big Bang. MoM-z14 now joins a strange new class of young galaxies that shine far more brightly than anyone expected. The brightness of these objects challenges existing models of how quickly the universe could form stars and galaxies after the Big Bang. The leap in capability is making it possible for Webb scientists not just to detect early galaxies, but to discern their structure and composition in surprising detail. For example, EGS23205—a barred spiral galaxy seen by both Hubble and JWST—appeared faint and featureless in the telescope’s earlier images.