--- title: "The James Webb May Have Just Found the Oldest Galaxy Ever Seen" description: "According to the latest analysis, we could soon be looking at images of the oldest galaxy ever identified, thanks to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope." date: "2022-07-20" modified: "2022-07-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/james-webb-oldest-galaxy" categories: - "James Webb Space Telescope" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "big bang" - "galaxies" - "james webb space telescope" - "milky way" - "the digest" --- # The James Webb May Have Just Found the Oldest Galaxy Ever Seen ![According to the latest analysis, we could soon be looking at images of the oldest galaxy ever identified, thanks to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Oldest Galaxy The data from NASA's groundbreaking James Webb Space Telescope keep pouring in. According to the latest preliminary analysis, we could soon be looking at images of the oldest galaxy ever identified, [*New Scientist* reports]() — a discovery that could rewrite the way we understand star formation shortly after the birth of the known universe. And, needless to say, the extraordinary telescope is [only getting started](). ## Older Than Old As detailed in a [yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper]() shared on Tuesday, a team led by Rohan Naidu from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics outlines two possible candidate galaxies, dubbed GLASS-z11 and GLASS-z13, that likely date back to just 300 million years following the Big Bang That's some [30 million years]() earlier than the previous unofficial record holder, a galaxy called HD1, which has been [considered the most distant known galaxy]() since its discovery in April. "We found two very compelling candidates for extremely distant galaxies," Naidu told *New Scientist*. "If these galaxies are at the distance we think they are, the universe is only a few hundred million years old at that point." The two galaxies are tiny compared to the Milky Way's 100,000 light year diameter, coming in at just 1,600 and 2,300 light-years across, respectively. ## Convincing Candidates The researchers acknowledge that further analysis is needed before HD1 can be dethroned. The paper will also still need to undergo peer review, of course. But the team is hopeful. "They’re very convincing candidates," Gabriel Brammer, co-author from the Niehls Bohr Institute in Denmark — the same researcher behind a [terrific new spiral galaxy image]() — told *New Scientist*. With scientific operations only underway for a couple of weeks so far, scientists are already astonished at the Webb's capabilities. "We were pretty confident that JWST would see distant galaxies," Brammer added. "But we’re a little bit surprised how easy it is to detect them." **READ MORE:** [JWST has found the oldest galaxy we have ever seen in the universe]() \[*New Scientist*\] **More on James Webb:** *[You'll Never Guess What This Bizarre New James Webb Image Is Actually Showing]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()