Historic Milestone: For the first time ever, scientists have captured a clear image of a star located beyond our Milky Way galaxy, marking a groundbreaking achievement in astronomy.
Captured by the James Webb Space Telescope: This extraordinary image was captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which is renowned for its cutting-edge infrared capabilities.
Star's Location: The star, called "Earendel," is located in the far-off galaxy called Sunrise Arc, about 12.9 billion light-years away, making it one of the most distant stars ever observed.
Revealing Ancient Light: The star’s light has taken nearly 13 billion years to reach us, meaning the image is of a star from when the universe was only about 900 million years old—offering valuable insight into the early universe.
Cosmic Lensing: The image was made possible through gravitational lensing, a phenomenon where the gravity of a massive object bends the light from more distant objects.
Scientific Impact: This discovery will help astronomers study the formation and evolution of the first stars in the universe, giving them clues about the conditions that led to the creation of galaxies and other cosmic structures.
Expanding Our Understanding: The clarity of this image opens the door to future observations of even more distant stars, allowing scientists to explore the unknown realms of the universe and refine our understanding of cosmic history.