Revealing the Universe: Identification of Maisie’s Galaxy as One of the Oldest in Existence

Maisie’s galaxy, christened in tribute to Steven Finkelstein’s daughter, was identified just 390 million years post the Big Bang, making it one of the four most ancient confirmed galaxies ever witnessed. Image Credit: NASA/STScI/CEERS/TACC/ University of Texas at Austin/S. Finkelstein/M. Bagley.

Named for the daughter of Steven Finkelstein, Maisie’s galaxy was spotted 390 million years following the Big Bang.

Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have verified that a galaxy first observed last summer is among the oldest ever detected. The discovery was detailed recently in the journal Nature.

Subsequent examinations since Maisie’s galaxy’s initial detection have confirmed its age to be 390 million years after the Big Bang. While not as old as the original estimate by the team led by Steven Finkelstein of the University of Texas at Austin, it nonetheless ranks among the four earliest known galaxies.

Steven Finkelstein, UT Austin astronomy professor and author of the Nature article, expressed excitement about the confirmation of Maisie’s galaxy by the JWST. It was named after his daughter, as it was uncovered on her birthday, and he leads the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey (CEERS).

A video provides a simulation of a journey from Earth to Maisie’s galaxy. Credit: Visualization team including Frank Summers, Greg Bacon, Joseph DePasquale, Leah Hustak, Joseph Olmsted, Alyssa Pagan and science contributions from Steve Finkelstein, Rebecca Larson, Micaela Bagley.

The most recent study was spearheaded by postdoctoral research associate Pablo Arrabal Haro at the National Science Foundation’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, along with co-authors from UT Austin.

Currently, the CEERS group is examining around 10 other galaxies that might originate from an even earlier era than Maisie’s.

Astronomers infer the timing of the light observed from cosmic objects through measuring their redshift. The expansion of the universe leads to a higher redshift the farther we gaze back in time.

Original redshift calculations were based on photometry, a method utilizing the brightness of light in images. For more accurate results, the CEERS team utilized the JWST’s spectroscopic instrument, NIRSpec. The latest spectroscopic evaluation places Maisie’s galaxy at a redshift of z=11.4.

Another galaxy, CEERS-93316, was initially estimated at 250 million years post the Big Bang but was later found to have a redshift of z=4.9, corresponding to about 1 billion years afterward. Its bright blue appearance led to this misunderstanding due to narrow frequency bands emitting light from oxygen and hydrogen.

Finkelstein reflected on this odd case, acknowledging the true redshift being much lower than their first guess was unusual. He also commented on the challenges of explaining the massive, unnaturally blue galaxy that formed so early.

The research, published on 14 August 2023 in Nature, was supported by various institutions including NASA, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and others.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06521-7

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• NASA
• Space Telescope Science Institute
• University of Texas at Austin – Astronomy
• National Science Foundation’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory
• Nature Journal
• James Webb Space Telescope
• Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo
• Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation