The Cosmic Gems arc as observed by the JWST. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, L. Bradley , A. Adamo and the Cosmic Spring collaboration.
The researchers discovered that the Cosmic Gems arc harbors five young massive star clusters in which stars are formed. “The surprise and astonishment were incredible when we opened the JWST images for the first time,” says Adamo.The Epoch of Reionization is a crucial time during the evolution of the Universe, which occurred within the first billion years after the Big Bang. During this period, the Universe went through an important transition.
One method to observe finer details in a galaxy at a great distance is through the use of gravitational lensing. Gravitational lensing occurs when a celestial body of high mass curves the path of light around it due to its strong gravity. When the light emitted from a source passes through the gravitational lens it is distorted similar to the effect of a magnifying glass. In this way, astronomers can observe small details in objects far away.