An associate member of the Centre for Astronomy, Space Science and Astrophysics of Independent University, Bangladesh, Astronomer Lamiya Mowla, has recently published a research paper in renowned science journal Nature on the discovery of Firefly Sparkle.
Firefly Sparkle is a young galaxy dating back approximately 600 million years after the Big Bang when the universe was less than 5 per cent of its current age, said a press release on Thursday.聽
An assistant professor at the Wellesley College in the United States, Lamia Mowla, said, 鈥楲ight from the Firefly Sparkle took 13.2 billion years to reach us, but due to the universe鈥檚 expansion, the galaxy is now much farther away than 13.2 light years.鈥�
Mowla added, 鈥業f we could observe it as it is today, it would likely resemble our own Milky Way. This gives us an incredible glimpse into how our galaxy might have looked in its infancy during the Epoch of Reionisation.鈥�
This discovery, made as part of a research that analysed data from NASA鈥檚 James Webb Space Telescope by Mowla and a team of 21 other scientists based mainly in North America, Europe and Japan, offers invaluable insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies, reminiscent of the early Milky Way.
Located in a distant region of space, 鈥楩irefly Sparkle鈥� consists of 10 compact star clusters embedded within a sparsely packed arc of stars. The galaxy is accompanied by two smaller neighbouring galaxies, referred to as 鈥楩irefly-Best Friend鈥� and 鈥楩irefly-New Best Friend鈥�, forming a fascinating triad that offers a unique glimpse into early cosmic evolution.
The discovery leveraged the power of gravitational lensing 鈥� where light passes through warped space around a massive galaxy cluster in the foreground that acts as a magnifying glass 鈥� to amplify the light of 鈥楩irefly Sparkle鈥� by up to 26 times. This natural cosmic phenomenon allowed astronomers to study the intricate structure of the galaxy despite its immense distance from Earth.
Khan Muhammad Bin Asad, director of CASSA and assistant professor at the department of Physical Sciences at IUB, said, 鈥楶rofessional astronomy and the study of astrophysics are only beginning in Bangladesh, and we aspire for IUB鈥檚 CASSA to be recognised as the pioneer in this field in the future. Congratulations to Mowla on publishing this groundbreaking research and gratitude for her association with us, sharing her research, resources, and knowledge, which have significantly contributed to building the foundation for astronomy education and research at IUB.鈥�
IUB has the only research centre for astronomy and astrophysics in Bangladesh where professional astronomers work and it is the only university in the country to offer minor courses in Astronomy and Astrophysics. IUB also houses two outreach telescopes for deep-space imaging which were received from the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics of the University of Toronto, Canada, in 2022 through an outreach grant of Dr. Mowla.
The Centre for Astronomy, Space Science and Astrophysics (CASSA) is dedicated to promoting education in these fields, conducting research, and contributing to global astronomical studies. The centre works to position Bangladesh as a proactive participant in the global scientific community.