Astronomers have discovered what may be the earliest and most distant galaxy ever observed, one that formed relatively soon after the Big Bang event that marked the origin of the universe and may be populated by the novel first generation of stars.
Researchers say the galaxy, called HD1, dates from a bit more than 300-million years after the Big Bang that occurred about 13.8 billion years ago.
The observations suggest HD1 formed stars at a staggering rate, perhaps about 100 new stars annually, or instead harboured what would be the earliest-known supermassive black hole.
Because of how long light takes to travel immense distances, 9.5 trillion kilometres in a year, observing objects such as HD1 amounts to peering back in time.
