Astronauts
Astronomy
Constellation
Deep Sky Objects
Moon
Stargazing
Telescope
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Accuracy & Corrections Terms & Condition
COPYRIGHT. All contents of on the site comporting the Starlust branding are Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.
STARLUST.ORG / DEEP SKY OBJECTS

NASA’s James Webb reveals the largest map of universe ever created, capturing more than 13 billion years

The largest map of the universe was created as part of a scientific collaboration that cataloged an array of galaxies in the cosmos.
PUBLISHED JUN 11, 2025
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reached back to nearly the beginning of time to sample thousands of infant galaxies. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images: NASA/WireImage)
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope reached back to nearly the beginning of time to sample thousands of infant galaxies. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images: NASA/WireImage)

The multinational scientific collaboration COSMOS released data on the largest map of the universe. The data was gathered by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and the project was named COSMOS-Web field, according to a statement by UC Santa Barbara. The imaging recorded around 800,000 galaxies that spanned across time, challenging the ideas of an infant universe. The COSMOS-Web composite image goes back around 13.5 billion years, and the universe is about 13.8 billion years old, indicating that the map covers 98% of all cosmic time.

A view of deepest view of the visible universe ever achieved is seen in a Hubble Telescope composite photograph released March 9, 2004. (Representative Photo by NASA / Getty Images)
A view of the deepest view of the visible universe ever achieved is seen in a Hubble Telescope composite photograph released March 9, 2004. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | NASA)

“Our goal was to construct this deep field of space on a physical scale that far exceeded anything that had been done before,” stated UC Santa Barbara physics professor Caitlin Casey. “If you had a printout of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field on a standard piece of paper, our image would be slightly larger than a 13-foot by 13-foot-wide mural at the same depth,” added Casey, who co-leads the COSMOS collaboration with Astrophysicist Jeyhan Kartaltepe of the Rochester Institute of Technology. It was significantly larger and covered a wide view of the cosmic environment.



 

The James Webb telescope observed a region of space known as the COSMOS field for 255 hours, according to LiveScience. This part of the sky had limited stars, gas clouds, or other components that could block the view of the deep universe. Scientists used the telescope to survey the area through various wavelengths of light, as the Webb was equipped with infrared sensitivity. It was handy because the universe was expanding, and visible light stretched out as it moved away from the source to the other end of the universe, turning it into infrared light.

Astrophysicists discuss one of the Hubble Ultra Field images on March 9, 2004, at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City. (Representative Photo by Stephen Chernin / Getty Images)
Astrophysicists discuss one of the Hubble Ultra Field images on March 9, 2004, at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City. (Representative Photo by Stephen Chernin / Getty Images)

The telescope detected these faint light signatures from the beginning of time, otherwise invisible to other telescopes. The scientists wondered if the JWST datasets would be capable of breaking the existing cosmological models. “The big surprise is that with JWST, we see roughly 10 times more galaxies than expected at these incredible distances. We're also seeing supermassive black holes that are not even visible with Hubble,” Casey highlighted. Though the raw data from the COSMOS field observations were made public, they had to be technically processed to be accessed.



 

The data released by the team contained the largest sequenced image ever captured by the Webb along with an interactive catalog. This details the properties of each galaxy and formulates a rich and vast cosmic record, as per Space.com. Kartaltepe mentioned how this level of the dataset was unique and might not be replicated. The COSMOS-Web field could easily become a good data reference for scientists in various fields for a long time to come.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST or Webb) observes outer space to detect anomalies. Elements of this image are furnished by NASA (Representative Image by alex-mit / Getty Images)
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST or Webb) observes outer space to detect anomalies. Elements of this image are furnished by NASA (Representative Image by alex-mit / Getty Images)

Astronomers have allotted time to ensure the telescope and study their preferred features of the universe. The parameters of the COSMOS-Web team also help to understand the nature of these vast galaxies. Their size, shape, and brightness could be key to understanding how they existed in isolation or within a crowd. The team also analyzed the datasets to formulate and publish scientific papers that explored the depth of their find. They examined the galaxies and their luminous nature and traced the evolution of star formation over 12 billion years.

MORE ON Starlust
On July 20, the crescent moon will approach within a degree of the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters, creating a stunning visual.
1 day ago
The pioneering project is set to transform our understanding of the Sun's mysterious interior.
2 days ago
Some theories suggest that our sun was in a similar state before the planets were all formed.
6 days ago
Discovered on July 1, the celestial body 3I/ATLAS is currently approaching Earth from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
6 days ago
Historically revered as Zeus's powerful eagle, bearing lightning and messages, this celestial constellation reaches its highest point in the sky during July and August.
6 days ago
With its unparalleled infrared capabilities, Webb now accomplishes what was once impossible, transforming our view of the cosmos from distant galaxies to our solar system.
7 days ago
An autonomous docking for the Progress 92 is anticipated around 5:27 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 5.
Jul 4, 2025
This lift-off, from Kennedy Space Center's historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A), marked yet another crucial orbital mission for SpaceX.
Jul 2, 2025
The advanced LOFAR radio telescope enabled scientists to detect a massive cloud of high-energy particles around a galaxy cluster whose light traveled 10 billion years to Earth.
Jul 1, 2025
The new image specifically highlights the eastern reaches of Arcadia Planitia, a crucial area northwest of the massive Tharsis volcanic province.
Jun 30, 2025
The spiral galaxy UGC 11397, in the constellation Lyra, is home to a supermassive black hole aggressively consuming material at its core.
Jun 30, 2025
The New Shepard program's 33rd overall flight, a suborbital journey lasting approximately 10 minutes, lifted off from Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:39 a.m. CDT.
Jun 30, 2025
The dwarf galaxy NGC 4449, just 12.5 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, is a standout 'starburst galaxy.'
Jun 29, 2025
The new image combines data from across the electromagnetic spectrum, giving astronomers a complete picture of Andromeda's complex structure.
Jun 27, 2025
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope recently captured an image of the spiral galaxy IC 758, located 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
Jun 22, 2025
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launching in 2027, will use gravitational lensing, a phenomenon Einstein predicted over a century ago, to study the mystery of dark matter.
Jun 22, 2025
Essential for galactic evolution, mergers impact the layout of gas, the motion of stars, and a galaxy's overall structure, ultimately leading to greater stellar mass.
Jun 21, 2025
Scientists are shedding new light on Cosmic Noon, a crucial era 10 to 12 billion years in the past when stars formed at rates 10 to 100 times greater than what we see now.
Jun 21, 2025
Climate change has amplified wildfires across Canada and the western US.
Jun 21, 2025
By the night of June 19, Mars officially entered the Spring Triangle, and it'll continue to skim its lower edge until mid-September.
Jun 19, 2025