Astronomer Dr Lamia Mowla, an Assistant Professor at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, USA, and an Associate Member at the Center for Astronomy, Space Science and Astrophysics (CASSA) of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), has published a groundbreaking research paper in the renowned science journal Nature on the discovery of Firefly Sparkle – a young galaxy dating back approximately 600 million years after the Big Bang when the universe was less than five percent of its current age.

This discovery – made as part of research that analysed data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) by Dr 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, Firefly Sparkle 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 "Firefly-Best Friend" and "Firefly-New Best Friend", forming a fascinating triad that offers a unique glimpse into early cosmic evolution.

The discovery leveraged the power of gravitational lensing – where light passes through warped space around a massive galaxy cluster in the foreground that acts as a magnifying glass – to amplify the light of Firefly Sparkle 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.

"Light from Firefly Sparkle took 13.2 billion years to reach us, but due to the universe's expansion, the galaxy is now much farther away," said Dr Mowla. "If 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 Reionization."

Dr Khan Muhammad Bin Asad, Director of CASSA and Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Sciences at IUB, said, "We aspire for IUB's CASSA to be recognised as the pioneer in this field in the future. Congratulations to Dr 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."

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.

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.