A Cosmic Detective Story: Webb Telescope Solves Ancient Mystery

In the vast expanse of space, something extraordinary happened. A bright flash of light, known as a gamma-ray burst, traveled across the cosmos. This burst was not just any flash; it was a sign of a star's dramatic end.

Astronomers Trace Light to Oldest Known Supernova

Astronomers, using the powerful Webb telescope, traced this light back to its source. They discovered it was the oldest known supernova, a massive explosion from a star that died when the universe was very young.

The Webb telescope made history by observing this ancient event. It saw a supernova that occurred when the universe was just 730 million years old. This broke the telescope's own previous record of detecting a star explosion from 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang.

Confirming the Source of the Gamma-Ray Burst

The Webb telescope confirmed the source of the gamma-ray burst, which was first spotted by a mission called SVOM. Other telescopes around the world helped pinpoint the location of this cosmic event.

A Longer Than Usual Gamma-Ray Burst

The gamma-ray burst lasted for 10 seconds, which is longer than usual. This suggested that it was caused by the death of a massive star, rather than the collision of two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole.

The Webb telescope observed this event about three months after it was first detected. This delay allowed the supernova to brighten, making it easier to spot.

Ancient Supernova Similar to Recent Ones

Astronomers were surprised to find that this ancient supernova looked very similar to more recent ones. They expected it to look different because stars in the early universe were different. These stars had fewer heavy elements and were more massive, living shorter lives. However, the Webb telescope showed that this supernova was much like those we see today.

Future Studies and Discoveries

The team of astronomers plans to use the Webb telescope to study more of these distant events. They want to learn about the galaxies that host these explosions and how galaxies have changed over time. The afterglow of these gamma-ray bursts can provide valuable information, acting like a fingerprint of the galaxy.

A Big Deal in Understanding the Early Universe

This discovery is a big deal. It shows that the Webb telescope can help us understand the early universe. It can find individual stars from a time when the universe was just 5% of its current age. This is a huge step forward in our quest to understand the cosmos.