MoM-z14

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MoM-z14
MoM-z14 in the COSMOS Legacy Field as seen by the NIRCam instrument aboard the JWST.png
Image of MoM-z14 taken with NIRcam on the James Webb Space Telescope.
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Sextans
Right ascension 10h 00m 22.40s
Declination +02° 16′ 23.19″
Redshift 14.44+0.02
−0.02 [1]
Distance 13.53 billion light-years
(light travel distance)
33.8 billion light-years
(proper distance) [2]
Apparent magnitude  (V)20.2
Characteristics
Type Lyman-break galaxy
Size240 light years
Notable featuresFarthest confirmed galaxy discovered

MoM-z14 is the most distant known galaxy, with a redshift of z = 14.44. The galaxy was first imaged on 16 May 2025 by the NIRcam instrument aboard the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). That image captured the galaxy during its formation about 280 million years after the Big Bang, during the Reionization Era of the early universe. This was the stage of cosmic evolution when neutral hydrogen began once again to ionize thanks to energy radiated by the earliest celestial objects. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

MoM-z14 is a remarkably luminous and compact galaxy, with a radius of around 300 light years. The very large degree of lookback present in high-z objects allows them to be imaged, as opposed to merely detected as points of light. This is thanks to the fact that when the light from MoM-z14 was emitted it was far closer, and hence apparently larger, to the point in space which the space telescope that would discover it now occupies.

It contains around 108 solar masses making it similar in mass to the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). At the time it was imaged, representing its appearance some 13.53 billion years ago, Mom-z14 appears to have gone through a period of rapid star formation. This enriched the metallicity of the galaxy to a level not presently accounted for in current models of early galaxy formation. This burst of star-formation also gave off large quantities of energetic photons, which have travelled through a virtually dust free interstellar medium (ISM), leaving the immediate surroundings of MoM-z14 partially ionized. [1]

Discovery

MoM-z14 was discovered on 16 May 2025 by Rohan Naidu and 45 co-discoverers, with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). [1] Telescopes launched prior to the JWST did not have mirrors large enough to detect light coming from these distant galaxies. The Spitzer telescope was an infrared telescope but was not large enough to detect MoM-z14. With its size and primary mission to study the assembly of galaxies, the JWST was able to detect MoM-z14. [4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Naidu, R.P.; Oesch, P.A.; Brammer, G.; Weibel, A.; Li, Y.; Matthee, J.; Chisholm, J.; Pollock, C.L.; Heintz, K.E.; Johnson, B.D.; Shen, X.; Hviding, R.E.; Leja, J.; Tacchella, S.; Ganguly, A.; Witten, C.; Atek, H.; Belli, S.; Bose, S.; Bouwens, R.; et al. (30 January 2026). "A Cosmic Miracle: A Remarkably Luminous Galaxy at zspec = 14.44 Confirmed with JWST". The Open Journal of Astrophysics. 9. arXiv: 2505.11263v2 . doi: 10.33232/001c.156033 .
  2. 1 2 Siegel, Ethan (May 21, 2025). "JWST breaks its own record with new most distant galaxy MoM-z14". Big Think .
  3. ↑ Robert Lea (2025-05-30). "'Cosmic miracle!' James Webb Space Telescope discovers the earliest galaxy ever seen". Space. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  4. ↑ Gough, Evan (May 22, 2025). Lock, Lisa; Zinin, Andrew (eds.). "The new, farthest galaxy has been found by JWST, only 280 million years after the Big Bang". Phys.org . Universe Today . Retrieved 2025-05-27.
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