NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has uncovered a massive galaxy that existed just 600 million years after the Big Bang, weighing nearly as much as the Milky Way. The discovery was made in the galaxy cluster MACS J1423, and the object has been designated WEIC2429, nicknamed the “Firefly Sparkle Galaxy” for its glittering appearance.
The finding was led by co-author Lamiya Mowla, assistant professor at Wellesley College, who identified the galaxy in JWST’s image. NASA described the discovery in a poetic post on X: “Someone struck a match against the night…” The dazzling image left viewers amazed, with users marveling at how Webb continues to reshape our view of the cosmos.
The Firefly Sparkle Galaxy contains 10 distinct star clusters, emitting light in pink, purple, and blue hues. This color variety indicates that star formation occurred in staggered phases, not all at once. JWST’s detailed view was made possible by its advanced technology and gravitational lensing, which magnified the galaxy’s faint light through the massive cluster MACS J1423.
In the image, the galaxy appears stretched into a long arc. Researchers later modeled its true form, suggesting an elongated raindrop shape—a sign that the stars have yet to settle into a bulge or disc. Its evolution remains uncertain, influenced by two companion galaxies located 6,500 and 42,000 light-years away.
The study, published in Nature, marks the first identification of an actively forming galaxy with a mass comparable to a young Milky Way so early in cosmic history. It provides key insights into how galaxies like ours began assembling soon after the Big Bang.
