Scientists have detected a surprisingly high concentration of oxygen in the oldest galaxy ever found in the Universe.

Observations of recent years have often baffled astronomers, proving the fallacy of their understanding of the evolution of the early Universe. Stars and galaxies evolved unexpectedly quickly in the first billion years after the Big Bang, which cannot be explained by the accepted models of cosmology. This series includes a new discovery – an unexpectedly high concentration of oxygen in the most ancient galaxy found in the Universe.

An artist’s impression of the galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0. Image Credit: ESO

The galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0 was discovered by the James Webb Space Infrared Observatory. By the summer of 2024, the discovery was confirmed by spectral data. It turned out that this unexpectedly large and bright object was discovered only 290 million years after the Big Bang. This in itself caused confusion, since current models do not assume such a rapid development of stars and galaxies. Obviously, terrestrial science is missing something in its assessment of the evolution of the Universe.

Galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0 could not fail to arouse growing interest among scientists – it’s like finding a teenager in a nursery group, the researchers explain. Therefore, for an in-depth analysis of the chemical composition of this “overgrown galaxy”, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array radio telescope in Chile was used. Observations in the radio wave range allow us to capture the emission spectra of cold atoms, unlike infrared and visible radiation, which record significantly higher energy levels.

The signals received from the galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0 stunned the researchers. The level of molecular oxygen in it was ten times higher than allowed by the models of stellar evolution. Oxygen and other elements heavier than hydrogen and helium are formed in the depths of stars as a result of nuclear fusion. They get into interstellar space after the death of such stars during supernova explosions. In other words, this is an extremely slow process. Therefore, the extreme level of oxygen in JADES-GS-z14-0 just 290 million years after the Big Bang remains a mystery to which scientists do not yet have an answer. New large-scale observations will be needed to find it.