First stars that formed after Big Bang identified
London, May 17: Japanese scientists have identified some of the first stars to form in the Universe just 250 million years after the Big Bang, according to a study published in Nature magazine.
Using the giant ALMA telescope in Chile, researchers were able to observe the distant galaxy MACS1149-JD1 when it was just 550 million years old, a time when it contained stars that were about 300 million years old, the study published on Wednesday said.
The galaxy's "red shift," a measurement technique that shows the distance to, and the age of astronomical objects, which was determined to be 9.1096, the largest value ever detected to date using spectral line analysis, Efe news reported.
The Japanese researchers arrived at that red shift measurement using the spectral lines of ionized oxygen insted of using ionized carbon, as is normally done in examining distant objects.
The results demonstrate the usefulness of ALMA as a tool for measuring the red shift of distant galaxies, Rychard Bouwens, an astrophysicist at Leiden University, said in another article in Nature.
The work of Takuya Hashimoto and his group at Osaka Sangyo University sheds light on the formation of the first stars and suggests that future telescopes - such as the James Webb Space Telescope, which will replace the Hubble 'scope in orbit starting in 2020 - could find new evidence on the formation of first-generation stars, Bouwens said.
Scientists believe that the Universe's first stars formed in regions of very dense matter, although understanding of that process is still limited.
Bouwens emphasised that it was still not clear whether the stellar activity detected in MACS1149-JD1 occurred in other regions in the early Universe, but he added that the discovery would spur similar studies of other galaxies.
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India pushes for Commonwealth reforms to reflect 'contemporary realities'
New York (PTI): India has pushed for reforms in the Commonwealth grouping to make it more reflective of the "realities of contemporary times", as it emphasised its commitment to the organisation's core values and principles at a ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly here.
Ambassador Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), represented India at the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meeting (CFAMM) 2025 on Monday.
At the meeting, George spoke about India's "commitment to the core values and principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter as well as reform of the Commonwealth to better reflect the realities of contemporary times", the MEA said in a social media post on Tuesday.
The meeting was chaired by Samoa Deputy Prime Minister Toelupe Maoiautele Poumulinuku Onesemo.
The CFAMM is a high-level forum that brings together foreign ministers of Commonwealth member states to deliberate on ways to strengthen collaboration and develop joint responses to shared challenges across the association of 56 countries.
The ministers at CFAMM "expressed overwhelming support for the Commonwealth’s role as a champion of multilateralism and collective action at a time of profound global upheaval", the association said in a press release.
In his opening remarks, Toelupe said: “The role we play at this Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting is crucial, and the issues discussed today are key to implementing the mandates of the CHOGM Leaders from Samoa, to help build a resilient Commonwealth.”
Leading her first CFAMM as Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Botchwey called on member states to reinforce the grouping's unique convening power, the release said.
“The multilateral system is under serious pressure, but it remains our greatest tool. Without it, the fractures in our world will deepen. With it, we can still find solutions... in a world defined by pressure, the Commonwealth must be defined by purpose,” she said.
