Q&A WITH A GALAXY HUNTER

Researchers have been shocked to discover 'Universe breakers' in JWST images, massive galaxies that existed way before current theories predicted

- Erica Nelson

Anita Chandran interviews Professor Erica Nelson

What do scientists think the early Universe was like?

In the beginning there was nothing: no time, no space. Then the Big Bang happened and everything popped into existence - all the light and matter that exists in our Universe. The early Universe was a hot, dense, turbulent place and the kinds of objects that could form then were very different from those that could form today.

What was your research team looking for?

We were trying to see the first luminous objects in the Universe. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was constructed to look back at the earliest cosmic epochs to search for these luminous objects. We don't yet know how far back in time they exist. We didn't think JWST would have the sensitivity to see individual stars, so instead we were looking for galaxies that are much more luminous.

How did you make your discovery?