Going Back in Time to the First Stars, Galaxies, and Black Holes

Alice Shapley Professor / UCLA Physics and Astronomy

Astronomers use telescopes as a tool to travel back in time to the beginning of the universe — which is almost 14 billion years in the past. The James Webb Space Telescope in particular has given us a completely unprecedented view of the first billion years of cosmic time. We are starting to understand how and when the first stars, galaxies, and black holes came into being, and answering some of the most fundamental questions of our cosmic origins.

Recommended grade level: 3rd-5th