JWST study suggests a handful of 'leaky' galaxies reionized the early universe
A new study using James Webb Space Telescope data suggests that a small population of 'leaky' galaxies drove the cosmic reionization of the early universe. These galaxies allowed ionizing ultraviolet radiation to escape into the intergalactic medium.
Why it matters
Understanding the epoch of reionization helps astronomers map the history of the universe and the formation of the first stars and galaxies.
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Left panel: cumulative distribution of ˙n ion as a function of MUV for nine integer redshifts in the range 5 ion at each magnitude for the same redshifts, in bins of ∆MUV = 0.5. Credit: arXiv (2026). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2607.22834 A new study analyzing the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) spectra of more than 1,400 galaxies suggests a surprisingly small group of "leaky" galaxies was responsible for cosmic reionization. The paper outlining this work was posted to the arXiv preprint server on July 24.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in