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November 19, 2025<\/p>\n
2 min read<\/p>\n
JWST May Have Seen the First Stars in the Universe<\/p>\n
Although these findings from JWST are yet to be confirmed, they mark the closest astronomers have come to locating the universe\u2019s most ancient stars<\/p>\n
By Humberto Basilio edited by Claire Cameron & Lee Billings<\/span><\/p>\n Galaxy cluster MACS0416 magnifies the light from more distant background galaxies through gravitational lensing.<\/p>\n NASA\/ESA\/CSA\/STScI\/J. Diego\/Instituto de F\u00edsica de Cantabria\/J. D\u2019Silva\/University of Western Australia\/A. Koekemoer\/STScI\/J. Summers\/Arizona State University\/R. Windhorst\/Arizona State University\/H. Yan\/University of Missouri<\/p>\n Astronomers studying a distant galaxy using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have found the best candidates yet for the universe\u2019s first stars.<\/p>\n These so-called Population III stars arose shortly after the big bang and formed from the primordial hydrogen and helium that then pervaded the universe. Shining brilliantly but briefly, they would have ended their lives in explosive supernovas that forged and scattered heavier elements, enriching the cosmos with material for subsequent stellar generations. JWST was purpose-built to help astronomers find Population III stars, but that task has proved extremely difficult because of how far away in space and time these short-lived stars are from our present.<\/p>\n The latest candidates reside in a galaxy called LAP1-B, which is located more than 13 billion light-years away. A larger, intervening galaxy cluster that is closer to us acts as a giant magnifying lens for LAP1-B\u2019s faint, distant light. Looking at that light, astronomers found clear evidence of helium in LAP1-B\u2014but virtually no heavier elements, as would be expected from an early galaxy filled with Population III stars.<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.<\/p>\n The new finding is not a smoking gun, but this is \u201cthe closest we are yet\u201d to finding the most ancient stars, says astronomer Jorryt Matthee of the Institute of Science and Technology in Austria, who was not involved with the work.<\/p>\n The team behind the new study, published in October in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, noted there is still uncertainty because LAP1-B\u2019s apparent lack of heavier elements could be explained in other ways. For instance, JWST could have detected unusually pristine clouds of gas rather than actual Population III stars.<\/p>\n Deeper studies of LAP1-B could provide more clarity. The absence of any trace of oxygen in the galaxy, for example, would bolster the case that this galaxy truly contains some of the universe\u2019s first stars. But, Matthee cautions, an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence\u2014especially when viewing something so far away. \u201cIt is very difficult to prove that heavy metals are not there,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s Note (11\/19\/25): This article was edited after posting to correct the description of the larger, intervening galaxy cluster and Jorryt Matthee\u2019s current affiliation.<\/p>\n If you enjoyed this article, I\u2019d like to ask for your support. Scientific American<\/span> has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been a Scientific American<\/span> subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm <\/span>always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.<\/p>\n If you subscribe to Scientific American<\/span>, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.<\/p>\n In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can’t-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.<\/p>\n There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you\u2019ll support us in that mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" November 19, 2025 2 min read JWST May Have Seen the First Stars in the Universe Although these findings from JWST are yet to be confirmed, they mark the closest astronomers have come to locating the universe\u2019s most ancient stars By Humberto Basilio edited by Claire Cameron & Lee Billings Galaxy cluster MACS0416 magnifies the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[817,3895,1695,1179,7633],"class_list":{"0":"post-34433","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-james","9":"tag-stars","10":"tag-telescope","11":"tag-universe","12":"tag-webb"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34433"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34433\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}On supporting science journalism<\/h2>\n
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