Bangladeshi astronomer makes groundbreaking discovery on galaxy formation with JWST

 

Astronomer Dr Lamia Mowla, Assistant Professor at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, and Associate Member of the Center for Astronomy, Space Science and Astrophysics (CASSA), of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), has made a groundbreaking discovery.

Her research, recently published in the renowned journal “Nature”, unveils "Firefly Sparkle," a young galaxy that formed approximately 600 million years after the Big Bang when the universe was less than 5% of its current age.

Dr Mowla’s work, conducted with a team of 21 scientists using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), sheds light on how galaxies formed and evolved in the early universe.

"Firefly Sparkle" consists of 10 compact star clusters within a sparse arc of stars and is accompanied by two smaller galaxies, playfully named "Firefly-Best Friend" and "Firefly-New Best Friend."

Together, these galaxies offer invaluable insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies, reminiscent of the early Milky Way.

The discovery was made possible by gravitational lensing, a phenomenon where light from distant galaxies is magnified as it passes through the warped space around a massive foreground galaxy cluster.

This amplified the light of "Firefly Sparkle" by 26 times, enabling scientists to study its intricate structure despite its immense distance.

“Light from ‘Firefly Sparkle’ took 13.2 billion years to reach us, but due to the universe’s expansion, the galaxy is now much farther away than 13.2 light years,” said Dr Mowla. “If we could observe it as it is today, it would likely resemble our own Milky Way.

This gives us an incredible glimpse into how our galaxy might have looked in its infancy during the Epoch of Reionization.”

Dr Khan Muhammad Bin Asad, Director of CASSA and Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Sciences at IUB, said: “Professional astronomy and the study of astrophysics are only beginning in Bangladesh, and we aspire for IUB’s CASSA to be recognized as the pioneer in this field in the future. Congratulations to Dr Mowla on publishing this groundbreaking research and gratitude for her association with us, sharing her research, resources, and knowledge, which have significantly contributed to building the foundation for astronomy education and research at IUB.”

IUB has the only research centre for astronomy and astrophysics in Bangladesh where professional astronomers work and it is the only university in the country to offer minor courses in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

IUB also houses two outreach telescopes for deep-space imaging which were received from the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics of the University of Toronto, Canada, in 2022 through an outreach grant from Dr Mowla.

The Center for Astronomy, Space Science and Astrophysics (CASSA) is dedicated to promoting education in these fields, conducting research, and contributing to global astronomical studies. The centre works to position Bangladesh as a proactive participant in the global scientific community.