NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured a mesmerizing image of the farthest star ever detected, named Earendel. This new image, revealing the colors of the star, was released by NASA last week. Earendel, which was first spotted by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2020, is more than twice as hot as the sun and ‘about a million times more luminous’, according to NASA.
The star appears as a reddish dot in the Sunrise Arc galaxy, distinguishable from the bright spot with blue diffraction spikes at the center of the image. Earendel’s light has taken billions of years to reach Earth, making the image a glimpse of the star’s state 1 billion years after the Big Bang, roughly 12.9 billion years ago. Presently, due to the expansion of the universe, Earendel is estimated to be about 28 billion light-years away from Earth.
The expansion of the universe has also affected the wavelengths of light emitted by Earendel. The longer wavelengths of light became undetectable by the instruments aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. However, the James Webb Space Telescope’s enhanced capabilities enabled it to capture previously unseen colors of the distant star, unlocking new insights into its nature and composition.
The image revealed that Earendel might not be alone in its cosmic solitude. Scientists now believe that the star has a “cooler, redder companion star” beside it. This revelation was made possible by Webb’s powerful infrared vision, which surpassed the capabilities of its predecessor.
In addition to unveiling Earendel’s companion star, the James Webb Space Telescope also unveiled new star clusters and star-forming regions within the Sunrise Arc. This suggests a potential cosmic nursery for the birth of new stars.
Prior to Earendel’s discovery, the most distant star ever observed was detected 4 billion years after the Big Bang, also by the Hubble Space Telescope. Earendel’s magnified view is attributed to the gravitational lensing effect caused by a massive cluster of galaxies.
NASA’s long-term goal with the James Webb Space Telescope is to probe even deeper into the history of the universe and detect stars from its very first generation. These initial stars played a crucial role in synthesizing elements that eventually led to the emergence of life on Earth.
With its groundbreaking discoveries, the James Webb Space Telescope continues to push the boundaries of human knowledge, unraveling the mysteries of the universe and taking us further than ever before.