Images from the James Webb Telescope have captured over 40 stars in the "Dragon Arc" galaxy, situated over 6 billion light-years away from Earth. This makes it the largest number of individually observed stars ever seen at such a great distance.

Through gravitational lensing—a phenomenon predicted by Einstein, the James Webb Space Telescope has made an important discovery by identifying 44 ancient stars, which would have been too faint to see otherwise, in a galaxy known as the "Dragon Arc." This galaxy is situated about 6 billion light-years away, a time when the universe was about as half its current age.

Gravitational lensing is when a big astronomical entity, such as a cluster of galaxies, causes space-time to curve enough that the light path around it is clearly twisted, as if by a lens, this phenomenon is known as gravitational lensing. Thus, a gravitational lens is the body that causes the light to bend. In this case, the light from the Dragon Arc is zoomed by the gravity of a nearby galaxy cluster called Abell 370.

Before this, astronomers had only managed to capture up to seven stars in similar distant galaxies. The JWST's advanced technology brings the advent of new possibilities for studying individual stars in these far away galaxies, which were thought to be impossible to observe clearly.

This discovery not only provides insights into the early formation of galaxies but also enhances our understanding of how stars evolve, highlighting the JWST's capability to reveal hidden cosmic treasures.