A galaxy 13.5 billion years away from Earth has broken the record for the farthest astronomical object ever observed.

Named the HD1, the Galaxy is valued at about $ 13.5 billion. Light years, only about 330 million years later. Years after the Big Bang. In the distant galaxy there may be another surprise, either the stars in population III (the first stars born in space) or the earliest supermasive black hole discovered.

The study results are presented in two articles published inThe Astrophysical Journal“And”Monthly Notices of Letters from the Royal Astronomical SocietyMagazines.

HD1 is very bright in ultraviolet light, which usually indicates that the galaxy is rapidly “producing” stars, writes astronomers.

The first stars

One possible explanation for the ultraviolet radiation of HD1 is that the rising stars in the galaxy are different from ordinary stars. Today, stars emerge from discarded recycled materials from previous generations. So each star has slightly heavier elements, though only a few of them.

However, in the early universe, after the Big Bang, the primary gases were hydrogen, helium, and some lithium and beryllium. The first stars were born from these elements. Known as Population III stars, they were brighter, brighter, and hotter than current stars.

The only problem is that the stars in population III are imaginary because they have never been seen due to their fast life (burning up in a few millions of years).

However, while stars in population III can easily explain the brightness of HD1 in the ultraviolet band, they are not the only option.

The oldest cosmic monster

The ultraviolet light of the galaxy can also be explained by a supermassive black hole. If so, the supermassive black hole would be the oldest known, surpassing the previous record of about 500 million. Years.

Supermassive black holes are thought to be at the heart of most galaxies, but scientists still have a mystery as to how these giants grew so rapidly in the early universe, astronomers write. Physics states that black holes need time to swallow the materials needed to grow to enormous size, so they will not exist in such an early region.

JWST is enabled

To make this remote detection, the team used the Subaru Telescope, the Vista Telescope, the UK Infrared Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope to observe the sky for more than 1,200 hours. To test the distance of the HD1, the team plans to observe the galaxy again, this time with NASA’s powerful James Webb space telescope.

JWST, which can look at the first glows after the Big Bang, can also determine the theory that explains the ultraviolet glow of HD1. Perhaps, in the first moments of space to find more galaxies.