This galaxy, AzTECC71, was first detected as an indistinct blob of dust emission by a camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii that sees in wavelengths between far infrared and microwave. “That means our understanding of the history of galaxy evolution is biased because we’re only seeing the unobscured, less dusty galaxies.” “Until now, the only way we’ve been able to see galaxies in the early universe is from an optical perspective with Hubble,” McKinney said. Before JWST, astronomers sometimes referred to them as “Hubble-dark galaxies,” in reference to the previously most-sensitive space telescope. The team of more than 50 researchers was awarded 250 hours of observing time in JWST’s first year and received a first batch of data in December 2022, with more coming in through January 2024.Ī dusty star-forming galaxy is hard to see in optical light because much of the light from its stars is absorbed by a veil of dust and then re-emitted at redder (or longer) wavelengths. The goal in part is to study the earliest structures of the universe. The COSMOS-Web project-the largest initial JWST research initiative, co-led by Caitlin Casey, an associate professor at UT Austin-aims to map up to 1 million galaxies from a part of the sky the size of three full moons. The team published its findings in The Astrophysical Journal. If that conclusion is confirmed, it suggests the early universe was much dustier than previously thought. It’s potentially telling us there’s a whole population of galaxies that have been hiding from us.” And the fact that even something that extreme is barely visible in the most sensitive imaging from our newest telescope is so exciting to me. “Even though it looks like a little blob, it’s actually forming hundreds of new stars every year. “This thing is a real monster,” said Jed McKinney, a postdoctoral researcher at The University of Texas at Austin. By subscribing, you agree to receive email related to Lab Manager content and products.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |