A massive and bright galactic record breaker, the most distant JADES-GS-z14-0 existed only 300 million years after the Big Bang.

The JWST has found two of the oldest and farthest galaxies ever seen, breaking previous records.

The most distant galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0, existed at least 100 million years earlier than the previous record holder, around 300 million years after the Big Bang. This means that the light seen by the JWST from this ancient galaxy has been traveling towards us for 13.5 billion years. 

JADES-GS-z14-0 is not alone. Another galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-1, was discovered, ranking second among the earliest galaxies ever observed, despite being almost as distant. 

The JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) mission uses a $10 billion telescope to investigate the cosmic dawn. The discoveries were announced in October 2023 and January 2024. JADES aims to uncover the evolution of stars, gas, and black holes in early galaxies during the universe's early stages, which span 13.8 billion years. 

Scientists at the Kavli Institute for Cosmology, including team member Francesco D'Eugenio, stated that these galaxies are part of a small but growing group from early cosmic history, allowing for the study of chemical elements and stellar populations.