James Webb Space Telescope reveals hundreds of new galaxies in early universe

The JADES team has so far discovered 717 galaxies at redshifts greater than 8, when the universe was just 600 million years old. These are the most far away galaxies a human has ever seen.

Before JWST, Hubble saw two luminous galaxies at such early times (redshifts greater than 10). Now, 93% of the galaxies JWST is picking up are new, never identified before.

This is important because we live in a universe of complexity, and the early universe was hydrogen, helium and light,” Hainline says. “These are the galaxies that are starting the process of making the elements and the complexity that we see in the world around us today.”

Before JWST, Hubble saw two luminous galaxies at such early times (redshifts greater than 10). Now, 93% of the galaxies JWST is picking up are new, never identified before. “This,” Hainline declares, “is the rest of the iceberg.”