Glass z12 (formerly z13) is a distant galaxy that was discovered through observations made using the Hubble Space Telescope's Frontier Fields program. It is located approximately 13.1 billion light-years away from Earth, meaning that the light we detect from it has traveled for 13.1 billion years to reach us. This places it at a time when the universe was relatively young, around 700 million years after the Big Bang.
The existence of galaxies like z12 raises interesting questions and challenges for astronomers and astrophysicists. These early galaxies provide insights into the early universe and the processes involved in galaxy formation and evolution. The study of such distant galaxies helps us understand the conditions, mechanisms, and timescales involved in the formation of structures in the early universe.
One of the challenges is reconciling the observed properties of these early galaxies with our current theories and models of galaxy formation and evolution. These models are based on a combination of observations, simulations, and theoretical understanding. When new observations like those from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) become available, they provide additional data that can refine and improve our understanding of the early universe.
The James Webb Space Telescope, set to launch in late 2021, is expected to provide unprecedented capabilities to observe and study the early universe. Its advanced instruments will allow scientists to observe the distant universe with increased sensitivity and resolution. By studying galaxies like z12 in more detail and collecting data on a larger sample of similar galaxies, researchers hope to refine our understanding of early galaxy formation and the evolution of the universe.
It's important to note that scientific understanding is an iterative process, and new observations often lead to refinements and adjustments to existing theories. Discoveries like z12 provide valuable data points that help scientists refine and expand our understanding of the universe's early stages.