April 25, 2023

The galaxy cluster Abell 2744 and its surrounding area, including the views distorted by gravitational lensing of galaxies behind it. Among them are the seven galaxies identified in the A2744-z7p9OD protocluster, also seen in the insets.

An article published in “The Astrophysical Journal Letters” reports the evidence for the discovery of the oldest galaxy protocluster known so far. A team of researchers led by Takahiro Morishita of Caltech identified the cluster in its formation phase which was cataloged as A2744-z7p9OD with the Hubble Space Telescope and then confirmed with the James Webb Space Telescope the presence of at least seven galaxies. They were forming a larger structure about 650 million years after the Big Bang and according to calculations, the cluster has grown over time to include many other galaxies.