Astronomers Catch Five Galaxies Smashing Together 800 Million Years After the Big Bang

Image Source: ATM

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered a very rare cosmic event: at least five galaxies crashing into each other roughly 800 million years after the Big Bang. This system is nicknamed JWST’s Quintet and gives us a unique view of how galaxies grew and interacted in the early universe.

These galaxies form a tight cluster with over 17 star-forming clumps and a total mass of roughly 10 billion times that of the Sun. They are forming stars very fast at a rate about 240 to 270 solar masses per year, which shows how quickly galaxies could grow back then, which provides extra insight.

The team also found a halo of ionised gas containing heavy metals connecting several of the galaxies. This shows that collisions like this spread elements like oxygen and metals into the space around the galaxies and their surroundings very early in cosmic history.

Observing systems like JWST’s Quintet helps astronomers understand how galaxies assembled, formed stars, and chemically enriched their surroundings during cosmic dawn. The findings suggest that the early universe was far more dynamically active and interconnected than we used to think, and offers a more complete picture

References:

Hu, W., et al. (2025). Extended enriched gas in a multi-galaxy merger at redshift 6.7. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.04032 Texas A&M University. (2025, August 15). Rare cosmic starburst discovered using JWST. https://artsci.tamu.edu/research/updates/texas-am-astronomers-discover-a-rare-cosmic-starburst-using-nasas-james-webb-space-telescope.html

Live Science. (2025, September 7). JWST discovers 5-galaxy crash in early universe. https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/james-webb-telescope-discovers-exceptionally-rare-5-galaxy-crash-in-the-early-universe