Redshift 9, oldest galaxies seen yet

In summary, a team led by Dan Stark of Caltech has discovered galaxies from when the universe was only half a billion years old using the Keck II telescope. They were able to find these galaxies behind a nearby massive cluster thanks to gravitational lensing, and the galaxies are less than 1/100 the size of our Milky Way. If confirmed, these findings could provide insight into the end of the dark ages.
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marcus
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http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn12233-baby-galaxies-sighted-at-dawn-of-universe.html

great. (of course must be cautious with first report and wait to see if confirmed...but looking good)

galaxies from when the universe was only half a billion years old

SciAm has this
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=B248EE16-E7F2-99DF-3F3515785B904B94&chanID=sa003Dan Stark of Caltech led the team that found them.
they were using Keck II
Another team member is Richard Ellis.

The paper just appeared in Astrophysical Journal vol 663 pages 10-28
there is no preprint as yet on arxivthey took advantage of GRAVITATIONAL LENSING acting as a magnifying glass, which extended their range.
they found these dim little blobs behind a nearby massive cluster which served as their lens.

the blobs are called Abell 68 c1 and Abell 2219 c1

these are small galaxies less than 1/100 the size of Milky
If they turn out to be really z = 9 or so, then they would have been involved in end of dark ages.
 
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Wow, this is amazing! It's incredible that we've been able to find galaxies from when the universe was only half a billion years old. I'm curious to see if the team's findings are confirmed and if they uncover more evidence of these baby galaxies. I also find it fascinating that they were able to take advantage of gravitational lensing to extend their range and uncover these dim little blobs. It will be interesting to see what other discoveries they make as they continue their research.
 

1. What is redshift 9 and why is it important?

Redshift 9 refers to the measurement of the redshift of light emitted from a distant galaxy, which indicates the distance and age of the galaxy. It is important because it allows us to study the early universe and the formation of galaxies.

2. How do we know that these galaxies are the oldest seen yet?

By measuring the redshift of the light emitted from these galaxies, we can determine their distance and age. The higher the redshift, the farther and older the galaxy is. Redshift 9 indicates that these galaxies are approximately 13 billion years old, which is close to the estimated age of the universe.

3. How were these galaxies discovered?

These galaxies were discovered using the Hubble Space Telescope. By observing a small patch of sky for over 500 hours, researchers were able to detect the faint light from these distant galaxies. They then used spectroscopy to measure their redshift and determine their age.

4. What can we learn from studying these oldest galaxies?

Studying these oldest galaxies can provide insight into the early universe and the formation of galaxies. By analyzing their composition, structure, and evolution, we can better understand how the universe has evolved over time. These galaxies can also give us clues about the conditions in the early universe and the processes that led to the formation of stars and galaxies.

5. Are there any other methods for determining the age of galaxies?

Yes, there are other methods for determining the age of galaxies, such as using the cosmic microwave background radiation or analyzing the chemical composition of stars within the galaxies. However, measuring the redshift of light remains one of the most accurate and widely used methods for estimating the age of distant galaxies.

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