Webb finds more elements not possible so soon after the Big Bang
Click for original image.
The uncertainty of science: Using the Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have now detected emissions of hydrogen from a galaxy that exists only 330 million years after the Big Bang that simply shouldn’t be possible, based on present cosmological theory.
The false-color infrared image of that galaxy is to the right, cropped to post here. At that distance, 13.5 billion light years away, all Webb can really see is this blurry spot. From the press release:
In the resulting spectrum, the redshift was confirmed to be 13.0. This equates to a galaxy seen just 330 million years after the big bang, a small fraction of the universe’s present age of 13.8 billion years old. But an unexpected feature stood out as well: one specific, distinctly bright wavelength of light, known as Lyman-alpha emission, radiated by hydrogen atoms. This emission was far stronger than astronomers thought possible at this early stage in the universe’s development.
“The early universe was bathed in a thick fog of neutral hydrogen,” explained Roberto Maiolino, a team member from the University of Cambridge and University College London. “Most of this haze was lifted in a process called reionization, which was completed about one billion years after the big bang. GS-z13-1 is seen when the universe was only 330 million years old, yet it shows a surprisingly clear, telltale signature of Lyman-alpha emission that can only be seen once the surrounding fog has fully lifted. This result was totally unexpected by theories of early galaxy formation and has caught astronomers by surprise.”
In more blunt terms, the theory that the haze would clear only one billion years after the Big Bang appears very wrong. This result is also similar to the story earlier this week about the detection of oxygen in a similarly early galaxy, oxygen that could not possibly be there only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Not enough time had passed for the number of star generations needed to produce it.
You can read the peer-reviewed paper here. While the Big Bang theory is hardly dead, the data from Webb continues to suggest it either needs a major rethinking, or there is something fundamentally wrong with it.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Click for original image.
The uncertainty of science: Using the Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have now detected emissions of hydrogen from a galaxy that exists only 330 million years after the Big Bang that simply shouldn’t be possible, based on present cosmological theory.
The false-color infrared image of that galaxy is to the right, cropped to post here. At that distance, 13.5 billion light years away, all Webb can really see is this blurry spot. From the press release:
In the resulting spectrum, the redshift was confirmed to be 13.0. This equates to a galaxy seen just 330 million years after the big bang, a small fraction of the universe’s present age of 13.8 billion years old. But an unexpected feature stood out as well: one specific, distinctly bright wavelength of light, known as Lyman-alpha emission, radiated by hydrogen atoms. This emission was far stronger than astronomers thought possible at this early stage in the universe’s development.
“The early universe was bathed in a thick fog of neutral hydrogen,” explained Roberto Maiolino, a team member from the University of Cambridge and University College London. “Most of this haze was lifted in a process called reionization, which was completed about one billion years after the big bang. GS-z13-1 is seen when the universe was only 330 million years old, yet it shows a surprisingly clear, telltale signature of Lyman-alpha emission that can only be seen once the surrounding fog has fully lifted. This result was totally unexpected by theories of early galaxy formation and has caught astronomers by surprise.”
In more blunt terms, the theory that the haze would clear only one billion years after the Big Bang appears very wrong. This result is also similar to the story earlier this week about the detection of oxygen in a similarly early galaxy, oxygen that could not possibly be there only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Not enough time had passed for the number of star generations needed to produce it.
You can read the peer-reviewed paper here. While the Big Bang theory is hardly dead, the data from Webb continues to suggest it either needs a major rethinking, or there is something fundamentally wrong with it.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Maybe while they are doing something about the Big Bang (the description in ‘Lucifer’ is better) they could do something about Dark Matter as well.
yep
just wait until the Euclid results are all in, they will show the same
and note we’re going from a dozen or so strong lenses to 500 now from QR1 something like 100,000 by 2029 with the final releases, as well as millions of galaxies
believe the analyses over the next few years will fit timescape best
the cosmic horizon is always stuck at the age of the universe, but objects behind voids will appear “older” (or less mature) than they are if you don’t correct for inhomogeneities
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_distant_astronomical_objects
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inhomogeneous_cosmology
It’s nice to see that the long wait and much dinero paid for the Webb is paying off as promised.
*mucho*
Off and on, there are really good outer space/rocketry articles and postings on Freerepublic.com. When appropriate, I always refer the readers to check out Behind The Black. Here is something I posted on Freerepublic that I thought you might enjoy.
“”There was a time when humans thought our Milky Way galaxy was the universe. Some of those weird, diffuse smudges we saw with rudimentary telescopes were actually other galaxies.
As the telescopes improved, we began to collect images of amazing galaxies, of all shapes and sizes. There are even images of galaxies that are, or have, collided with each other.
When a Hubble astronomer decided to take long look (photo exposure over time) at a very small, but ‘empty’ part of the night sky, the result changed everything. Before this Hubble Deep Field Image, we estimated there were about 200 million galaxies in the known universe. When we let Hubble view this tiny, ‘empty’ spot, thousands of galaxies were revealed. After the Deep Field revelations, we now estimate there may be trillions of galaxies.
Recently, the James Webb telescope reaches further into the universe. They are finding galaxies that ‘shouldn’t exist’ that do not go along with what is/was the current theory. Before Webb, they estimated the age of the universe at 14-15 billion years old. Since Webb is peering ever deeper, our estimates of size and age of the known universe will change.
I love putting the adjective ‘known’ before universe. We use what God gave us to explore and theorize.
We know that what Hubble gave us as the known universe is not everything. Webb will peer further and further. What is beyond the limit that Webb can detect? We shall see. Webb is an Infrared telescope. Cosmic shhhtuff that might not be visible to our eyes is found with Webb. The Big Bang always seemed logical, and that 21cm background radiation comes from somewhere. Some of us today will not live to see what is beyond what Webb can detect, but it will be fascinating nonetheless.
Who’s going to tell it?
Nobody understands Quantum Theory.
By cosmologists own theories, they can’t even find 5% of the universe.
A little humility might be in order.
Big Bang
Dark Matter
Global Warming
I see a pattern. And last night I let the dog out to do his business, and he created a similar pattern on the porch, instead of out in the yard.
Men in Black
“Imagine What You’ll Know Tomorrow”
https://youtu.be/JwzrhuC4dXg
(0:37)
“1,500 years ago, everyone ‘knew’ the Earth was the center of the Universe. 500 years ago, everyone ‘knew’ the Earth was flat. 15 minutes ago, you ‘knew’ people were alone on this planet. Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow.”
I think the general population would be more interested if Hubble found the Secret Nazi Starbase.
As I have said elsewhere, these are great times to be alive, and sit back and watch the Jenga tower of modern cosmological theory come crashing down.
And if this is down to the JWST, it will have earned every cent spent on it!
Does this mean that the “open” universe theory could be correct and we are just detecting the left over O2 from the previous universe?
Or could detectable amounts of O2 could have been created when the universes temp pasted down through the O2 creation zone?
I don’t know I am just an ignorant American.
Well…
There are only 3 options…
1, many more elements than hydrogen, helium, and the odd metal were created in the birth of the universe.
2, the universe is much older than we thought.
3, everything we have hypothesize is wrong.
My money is on 3!