Most Distant Galaxy Cluster Ever Found Helps Show How the Universe First Lit Up

Scientists gain a new glimpse into a billions-of-years-old event in the universe that allowed light to shine freely.

By Alison Klesman
Jan 9, 2020 2:20 PMJan 9, 2020 3:10 PM
Most Distant Galaxies
This illustration of the EGS77 galaxy group shows the galaxies surrounded by overlapping bubbles of ionized hydrogen. (Credits: NASA, ESA and V. Tilvi (ASU))

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About 13 billion years ago, the universe emerged from a period of darkness, ushering in a cosmic dawn. As galaxies lit up with stars, they changed the chemical composition of their surroundings, allowing light to shine clearly throughout the universe.

Looking in on that period is difficult. But with telescopes that can peer billions of light-years away — and, therefore, back billions of years in time — scientists are getting a better idea of what the universe’s early days looked like.

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