NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured an image of the most distant star known as ‘Earendel’. Utilising the gravitational lensing technique, this breakthrough offers profound insights into the early universe and its initial stars, reported HT Tech.
In parallel to the legacy of the renowned Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope from NASA has focused its gaze on the farthest star ever identified. While the Hubble initially glimpsed this star, the James Webb Telescope, armed with its specialised camera known as NIRCam, has now zoomed in on it, unveiling Earendel as a super-hot and super-bright B-type star, surpassing the heat of the Sun.
Earendel, situated in the Sunrise Arc galaxy, resides at such an immense distance that its visibility is made possible through the interplay of natural phenomena and advanced technology, a phenomenon called gravitational lensing. The massive galaxy cluster known as WHL0137-08 distorts space, rendering distant objects seemingly larger.
While much of the galaxy appears like copies due to this distortion, Earendel emerges as a singular point of light. Scientists have deduced that Earendel is incredibly minuscule, approximately 4,000 times tinier than our usual observable threshold. This designation positions it as the most remote star ever detected, having emerged just a billion years following the Big Bang.
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The implications of Earendel’s size hint at the presence of a potential companion star, a revelation discernible thanks to Webb’s ability to stretch light into wavelengths beyond Hubble’s range, reported HT Tech.
Webb’s sophisticated camera also unveils the Sunrise Arc galaxy in intricate detail. It stands as the most magnified depiction of a fledgling galaxy, showcasing a constellation of young and mature stars as minute specks. Earendel holds a central position within this galaxy, affording scientists a deeper understanding of star clusters within Milky Way during its infancy.
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Researchers are diligently exploring Earendel and the Sunrise Arc galaxy, utilising Webb’s specialised camera to unravel the galaxy’s composition and ascertain its distance. While Webb has identified other distant stars employing this technique, none rival the remoteness of Earendel. These discoveries metaphorically open a cosmic gateway for scientists, enabling them to delve into the early universe and its nascent stellar inhabitants. The team is optimistic that this might lead to spotting the very first stars made from the universe’s basic stuff that is hydrogen and helium.
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Updated: 12 Aug 2023, 10:48 AM IST