James Webb Space Telescope discovers most distant galaxy and exoplanet chemical signatures

The James Webb Space Telescope has achieved two significant astronomical milestones. First, it has detected the most distant galaxy ever observed, named MoM-z14. This galaxy formed when the universe was only 280 million years old, surpassing the previous record held by JADES-GS-z14-0. Using the NIRCam instrument, astronomers identified the galaxy through extreme redshift, providing a glimpse into the embryonic stage of the universe during the cosmic dawn.

Additionally, the telescope has provided new data regarding the exoplanet K2-18b, located 124 light-years away. Observations using transit spectroscopy have detected traces of dimethyl sulfide in the planet's atmosphere. On Earth, this compound is primarily produced by biological activity, such as marine phytoplankton. While these findings reinforce K2-18b's status as a potential ‘Hycean’ world—a planet with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and liquid water oceans—researchers emphasize that life has not yet been confirmed.