Until now, the most distant spectroscopically confirmed galaxies known in the Universe were at redshifts of z = 8.2 and z = 6.96. It is now reported that the galaxy UDFy-38135539 is at a redshift of z = 8.5549 ± 0.0002. The finding has implications for our understanding of the timing, location and nature of the sources responsible for reionization of the Universe after the Big Bang.
- M. D. Lehnert
- N. P. H. Nesvadba
- S. Basa
