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James Webb Space Telescope witnesses Firefly Sparkle galaxy 'being assembled brick by brick'

James Webb Space Telescope witnesses Firefly Sparkle galaxy 'being assembled brick by brick' (image, video)

"With Firefly Sparkle, we are witnessing a galaxy being assembled brick by brick."

The Firefly Sparkle Galaxy belongs to a cluster of three galaxies known as MACS J1423. This dazzling galaxy is teaming with star clusters that resemble a swarm of lightning bugs on a warm summer night. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Chris Willott (National Research Council Canada), Lamiya Mowla (Wellesley College), Kartheik Iyer (Columbia University)


A relic galaxy from the early universe has been uncovered, offering fascinating insights into how galaxies, including our own Milky Way, may have looked billions of years ago. Dubbed the "Firefly Sparkle Galaxy," this celestial marvel was captured in breathtaking detail by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

A Dazzling Discovery


In newly released images, the Firefly Sparkle Galaxy appears as a warped, elongated arc filled with shimmering star clusters. Resembling a swarm of fireflies on a summer night, its dazzling beauty has earned it a poetic nickname. Using computer modeling, researchers estimate the galaxy’s mass to be comparable to what the Milky Way’s mass might have been approximately 600 million years after the Big Bang. This stands in contrast to other galaxies from the same era, which are typically much more massive.


"I didn’t think it would be possible to resolve a galaxy that existed so early in the universe into so many distinct components," said Lamiya Mowla, co-lead author of the study and an assistant professor at Wellesley College. "There is so much going on inside this tiny galaxy, including so many different phases of star formation."



 Gravitational Lensing: A Natural Magnifying Glass


The remarkable details of the Firefly Sparkle Galaxy were revealed with the help of gravitational lensing, a natural phenomenon where a massive foreground object acts as a magnifying glass. This effect not only amplified the galaxy’s light but also highlighted two companion galaxies nearby. Together, these three galaxies comprise the Galaxy Cluster MACS J1423


The two companions play a critical role in the Firefly Sparkle Galaxy’s development, influencing its structure and helping it build mass over time. "Most of the other galaxies the JWST has shown us aren’t magnified or stretched, and we are not able to see their 'building blocks' separately," Mowla added. "With Firefly Sparkle, we are witnessing a galaxy being assembled brick by brick."



 Star Clusters: Building Blocks of the Universe


The stretched appearance of the Firefly Sparkle Galaxy allowed researchers to identify 10 distinct star clusters. These clusters—represented in pink, purple, and blue hues—shine at varying brightness levels, signifying different stages of star formation. This diversity underscores the galaxy’s staggered evolution, a unique trait not often observed in galaxies this early in cosmic history.


"This galaxy has a diverse population of star clusters, and it is remarkable that we can see them separately at such an early age of the universe," said Chris Willott, co-author of the study and a researcher at Canada’s Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Center. "Each clump of stars is undergoing a different phase of formation or evolution."



A Living Laboratory of Galactic Evolution


The Firefly Sparkle Galaxy’s future holds even more intrigue. Its close companion galaxies exert gravitational forces during each orbital pass, causing gas to condense and form new star clusters. These dynamic interactions contribute to the Firefly Sparkle Galaxy’s growth but may ultimately lead to the smaller galaxies’ demise as they merge into the larger structure.


Thanks to the advanced capabilities of the JWST, researchers may be witnessing a galactic merger in action. These findings not only deepen our understanding of galactic evolution but also open a new window into the processes that shaped the universe as we know it.



 A Glimpse into the Early Universe


The discovery of the Firefly Sparkle Galaxy highlights the unprecedented power of the James Webb Space Telescope. By providing a glimpse into a galaxy’s assembly process so soon after the Big Bang, this research bridges the gap between cosmic infancy and the mature galaxies we see today.


The study was published on Dec. 11 in the journal Nature.


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