Astronomers observe largest ever sample of galaxies up to over 12 billion light years away
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James Webb telescope gives unprecedented open access to images of the deep universe
Researchers from Aalto University played a key role in cataloguing the largest ever sample of deep galaxies in the early universe, with all the data now publicly available in an easily searchable format.
COSMOS-Web was the largest General Observer programme selected for Cycle 1 of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), including imagery from some 255 hours of observation. The survey has captured some of the rarest objects in the universe, and now these images and supporting data are available for scientists – and the public alike – to delve in and make further discoveries.
As part of this major international release, which draws on expertise from 95 universities and research institutions worldwide, two companion research papers led by astrophysicist Ghassem Gozaliasl from Aalto University demonstrate the scientific potential of the new COSMOS2025 catalog.
‘This public release of the largest deep space catalogue ever created is a remarkable step for science and society. It democratizes access to the early universe, enabling not only scientists but also students, educators, and the public to explore our cosmic origins interactively,’ says Gozaliasl. ‘It’s especially exciting that researchers from Finland have contributed to this effort — showcasing how global collaboration and open science are shaping the future of discovery.’
Gozaliasl’s latest research focuses on how galaxies grow and evolve across cosmic time, using JWST’s unprecedented imaging capabilities and modern machine learning tools.
‘Thanks to JWST and the COSMOS-Web survey, we can now trace how galaxies shut down star formation, undergo morphological transformation, and how these processes are shaped by their environment across cosmic time, even predicting galaxy properties using AI-driven methods,’ he says.
The catalogue’s public launch was announced by Rochester Institute of Technology on June 5, 2025. Read more here.
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