Surprising Twist: Earendel, the Farthest Star Ever Detected, May Not Be a Star After All – Insights from the James Webb Telescope

The distant star known as Earendel has sparked a fascinating debate among astronomers. Initially discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2022, it was thought to be a single star that formed just 900 million years after the Big Bang. However, new research suggests it might actually be a cluster of stars, bound together by gravity.

A recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal utilized the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to take a closer look at Earendel. The team found that its light patterns resemble those of globular clusters found closer to home. Massimo Pascale, a doctoral student at UC Berkeley and the study’s lead author, noted that if Earendel is indeed a cluster, it’s not surprising. It aligns with what we expect globular clusters looked like in the early universe.

Located in a galaxy 12.9 billion light-years away, Earendel’s visibility is largely due to gravitational lensing—an effect predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity. A massive galaxy cluster between Earth and Earendel bends light, magnifying this distant object and making it appear 4,000 times larger.

The phenomenon of gravitational lensing is rare but crucial for studying distant celestial bodies. When a star or galaxy aligns perfectly with a massive object, its light can be extremely bright. This is how scientists were able to spot Earendel, even at such incredible distances.

Previously, researchers had concluded that Earendel could be more than twice as hot as the sun and possibly a million times brighter. With new data from JWST, more details emerged about its age and composition. The researchers observed that brightness across various wavelengths matched what one would expect from a star cluster.

Brian Welch, a researcher at NASA and part of the original Earendel discovery team, emphasized caution. He pointed out that the spectrum of a lensed single star can appear similar to that of a star cluster, meaning more data is needed for a conclusive classification.

Moving forward, scientists aim to study microlensing effects to better understand Earendel’s true nature. Microlensing occurs when a nearby object distorts the light of a distant one as they align. This can reveal changes in brightness, helping researchers differentiate between a star cluster and a single star.

In addition to this ongoing research, Earendel’s case is also a reminder of just how much we still have to learn about our universe. Future JWST studies promise to unveil more about this intriguing object, shedding light on the early universe and possibly reshaping our understanding of star formation.

For more in-depth information on cosmic discoveries, you can explore NASA’s findings here.

Source link