The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has provided groundbreaking insights into the Spiderweb protocluster, a massive galaxy formation located 10 billion light years from Earth. This discovery, reported by the European Space Agency on December 5, 2024, reveals the protocluster as it existed just 4 billion years after the Big Bang.
By utilizing JWST's advanced infrared capabilities, astronomers uncovered previously hidden galaxies within this early-stage galaxy cluster, marking a significant advancement in understanding the evolution of massive cosmic structures. Rhythm Shimakawa from Waseda University noted the unexpected discovery of more galaxies than anticipated, suggesting that known galaxy members, akin to typical star-forming galaxies like the Milky Way, are less obscured by dust than previously thought.
Helmut Dannerbauer from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands proposed that the growth of these galaxies may not be primarily driven by mergers, as earlier theories suggested, but rather by the accumulation of gas across their large-scale structure. The team achieved these findings in just 3.5 hours of observation, underscoring the JWST's powerful observational capabilities.