The James Webb Telescope has spotted a massive spiral galaxy, and its extreme age could challenge current understanding of galaxy formation.

Telescopes like Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope can observe some incredibly distant galaxies, stretching all the way back to the early universe. However, spotting individual stars in distant galaxies is tricky even for Webb and its massive primary mirror.

The NASA/ESA James Webb Space Telescope has captured a stunning view of the Horse-head Nebula. It is the sharpest infrared imagery to date. The iconic nebula is about 1300 light-years away. Credit: ESA/Webb,

An international team of astronomers has detected over 40 individual stars in a galaxy located 6.5 billion light-years away. The discovery of more than 40 stars in a single galaxy is unprecedented, as prior observations typically revealed only one or two such stars per galaxy.