The James Webb Space Telescope has found evidence that early galaxies were already producing and spreading heavy elements just 500 million years after the Big Bang.

Carbon and oxygen detected in distant galaxies suggest the young universe became chemically enriched much faster than expected, challenging the idea of a pristine early cosmos. The discovery also narrows the window for finding the universe’s first stars and reveals how rapidly the earliest galaxies evolved.

Thank you for listening to Bedtime Astronomy — your guide to the cosmos. New episodes on space exploration, NASA missions & the latest astronomy breakthroughs.

This episode includes AI-generated content.