JWST Discovered The Farthest Star Ever Seen!

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  • Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
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    To understand where we came from-how earth, the solar system, the galaxy became what they are today-we need to understand the beginning of time. For example, how did the first galaxies pull themselves together from the dark universe-filling ocean of gas that followed the Big Bang? With the James Webb Space Telescope we’re starting to be able to find those first galaxies. It’s hard work because at those crazy distances all we see is tiny, faint and fuzzy blobs. If only we could see the individual stars in those galaxies we could learn so much more. Well, now using this one weird trick we can do exactly that. Or at least we have one lonely star at the end of the universe. But it won’t be lonely for long.
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,5 тис.

  • @CyborusYT
    @CyborusYT 10 місяців тому +777

    How incredible is it that light rays once from the same source but then lost from each other for billions of years at ludicrous distances finally end their journey back together again in such a tiny patch of space as a telescope receiver.
    EDIT: _some_ light beams guys, didn't mean all

    • @momiaw
      @momiaw 10 місяців тому +39

      The wonders of the universe never get old

    • @Rattus-Norvegicus
      @Rattus-Norvegicus 10 місяців тому +73

      And they often arrive at different times because despite starting and ending at the same place, they cover different distances.

    • @paulmurphy8549
      @paulmurphy8549 10 місяців тому +4

      Line of sight straight lines

    • @kayakMike1000
      @kayakMike1000 10 місяців тому +7

      Hum... never thought of it that way. Pretty cool!

    • @2dollarkevin
      @2dollarkevin 10 місяців тому +7

      Poet

  • @tonywells6990
    @tonywells6990 10 місяців тому +263

    In case anyone is wondering, Earendel's proper distance is 28 billion light years away (the distance its location is now), the light we see from it is 12.5 billion years old, and it was 3.5 billion light years away when it existed and emitted the light we see now.

    • @winonafrog
      @winonafrog 10 місяців тому +4

      Thank you!

    • @ryang2723
      @ryang2723 10 місяців тому +36

      Space math hurts my brain.

    • @arctic_haze
      @arctic_haze 10 місяців тому +7

      The 28 billion light years (bly) is a very misleading piece of information. It is at this distance today but obviously we see it as it was less than 14 bly from our current position. By the way at the time, we were much, much closer together.

    • @iwantmykidssusan4941
      @iwantmykidssusan4941 10 місяців тому +33

      @@arctic_hazeyeah he just said that

    • @arctic_haze
      @arctic_haze 10 місяців тому +3

      @@iwantmykidssusan4941 Well, who listens to the videos? 😁

  • @Hoshimi_Shion
    @Hoshimi_Shion 10 місяців тому +222

    Absolutely love the name for this star! The star of Eärendil…

    • @Galadonin
      @Galadonin 10 місяців тому +31

      Tolkien lore master are here ! I thought the same thing right away, and we're not alone

    • @zakkus
      @zakkus 10 місяців тому +15

      I always thought tolkiens half-elves were maybe the most interesting thing in The Silmarillion. Like they were so rare and strange that even that even Eru (the one true god) was like "alright i dont really have a plan for how to handle you. You have to pick either being a human or an elf". I think Elrond was Earendils brother and chose elf?

    • @Hoshimi_Shion
      @Hoshimi_Shion 10 місяців тому +25

      @@zakkus Nope, you’re thinking of Elros. Eärendil was their father.

    • @luudest
      @luudest 10 місяців тому +1

      Does gravitational lensing affect the red shift?

    • @paulmichaelfreedman8334
      @paulmichaelfreedman8334 10 місяців тому +2

      @@luudest Probably negligible, or very small influence.

  • @CitizenSn1pz
    @CitizenSn1pz 10 місяців тому +143

    Hearing Matt talk about LOTR characters and quickly shift to astrophysics and cosmology is next level nerd and I couldn't be happier 🧙‍♂️✨🌌

    • @tompark5047
      @tompark5047 10 місяців тому +5

      Haha I came to make this same comment

    • @Urroner
      @Urroner 10 місяців тому +9

      I have worked for NASA for over 40 years as an engineer. A very high percentage of the engineers and techs I have worked with are serious nerds. When we're discussing serious work stuff, references to Star Trek, Star Wars, LOTR, Marvel, D&D, and Holy Grail are often mentioned.
      I'm 70+ and some interns will start chanting "Bring out yer dead." when I come into their area. Of course I'll respond with "I'm not dead," and the response is, of course, "Well, you will be soon."😂😂😂

    • @StraveTube
      @StraveTube 10 місяців тому +1

      Astrophysics, space telescopes, Tolkien (with the fun linguistic elements no less!) AND Norse mythology? They'd be hard-pressed to make this video _more_ perfect for me.

    • @asafoster7954
      @asafoster7954 9 місяців тому +2

      ​@@Urronerthis is so heart warming! Much love

  • @douglasharley2440
    @douglasharley2440 10 місяців тому +330

    as an ent-level tolkienist, i am fervently hoping that it turns out that earendel is in fact revealed to be a binary star system, as discussed at 11:00, and the individual stars can be named laurelin and telperion. ❤

    • @scaper8
      @scaper8 10 місяців тому +22

      As amazing as that would be, unfortunately far as I know the naming conventions for stars and multi-star systems make it pretty unlikely (if not entirely impossible), at least as so far as the official names goes.
      They would simply be "Earendel A" and "Earendel B."

    • @JoeTaber
      @JoeTaber 10 місяців тому +21

      @@scaper8 Maybe we can get an exception and name them Earendel L and Earendel T

    • @isomeme
      @isomeme 10 місяців тому +17

      I think Earendel and Elwing would be even better names.

    • @abydosianchulac2
      @abydosianchulac2 10 місяців тому +13

      I'd save Laurelin and Telperion for the first 1st generation stars we find, as they were the first coalesced lights of Arda.
      (EDIT: isomeme is right that they're 2nd gen light sources)

    • @isomeme
      @isomeme 10 місяців тому +11

      @@abydosianchulac2 , Laurelin and Telperion were second-generation light sources. The great lamps Illuin and Ormal preceded them.

  • @scottglajch1555
    @scottglajch1555 10 місяців тому +40

    "Hold up, we need to talk about how nerdy I can go for a full minute here"
    ...."OK now back to the physics"

  • @theCodyReeder
    @theCodyReeder 10 місяців тому +664

    This is one case where we can say with certainty that the star we are seeing no longer exists. It exploded a long time ago but the light from the explosion hasn't reached us yet.

    • @dlevi67
      @dlevi67 10 місяців тому +57

      If absolute time existed, you'd be right.

    • @xBINARYGODx
      @xBINARYGODx 10 місяців тому +64

      @@dlevi67 lul wut (we dont need "absolute time" to know that star is now dead, or in one of those states they end up after they have lived their prime life, or whatever you want to call it - like a white dwarf or whatever.)

    • @rb1471
      @rb1471 10 місяців тому +22

      Great comment from a great channel. Also I'd argue the exploded star might have formed a new one (or new stars) since, and probably a few generations at that

    • @stdev.
      @stdev. 10 місяців тому +46

      At that redshift, I don't think the future states of that region of space will ever reach us.

    • @quinton1661
      @quinton1661 10 місяців тому +80

      ​@@xBINARYGODx "Now" is relative. There is no preferred reference frame, including time. This star is very much alive in Earth's "now".

  • @user-or5ke5yn4w
    @user-or5ke5yn4w 10 місяців тому +52

    As a Tolkien fan, I love this name! Earendil with a Silmaril in the night sky... The very star Frodo was watching from the mountains of Mordor.

    • @throwaway9208
      @throwaway9208 10 місяців тому

      Correction, but it was Sam who saw the Silmaril, no?

    • @user-or5ke5yn4w
      @user-or5ke5yn4w 10 місяців тому

      @@throwaway9208 yes, but maybe Frodo was watching too, they had a lot of time there:)

    • @kindlin
      @kindlin 10 місяців тому +1

      Is no one going to talk about the pronunciation tho? Ee-uh-ren-del? I get it's kind of spelt that way, but really now....

  • @usadefcon1
    @usadefcon1 10 місяців тому +345

    "We no longer need to invent our own origin story. We can know it." Powerful stuff Matt.

    • @johnsiman5063
      @johnsiman5063 10 місяців тому +2

      I was just about to quote the same prophecy!!❤🎉😊

    • @MAGA_Extremist
      @MAGA_Extremist 10 місяців тому

      I love that part too

    • @drgetwrekt869
      @drgetwrekt869 10 місяців тому

      fun fact: 99% of the population believes in s**tty origin stories and thats not going to change anytime soon. Science needs to make itself more heard. Sadly this still doesnt happen. Maybe the new generations in the West are better equipped to listen to this. But most of the world lives still in the middle ages. Also the West is on the brink or going back there by the way.

    • @lokisg3
      @lokisg3 10 місяців тому +18

      Why can I hear religions screaming right now?!

    • @morninggloryvisuals
      @morninggloryvisuals 10 місяців тому

      Matt has been replaced by AI!!!

  • @grandlotus1
    @grandlotus1 10 місяців тому +20

    LOVE the nerdy references to Tolkien and other languages. Agree, it is awesome! It is rare I understand the entire episode...this was a delight.

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      Brainwashing a success! A whole case of snakeoil on its way.

  • @sagetmaster4
    @sagetmaster4 10 місяців тому +31

    Looking through the stem of a wine glass to simulate gravitational lensing is peak physics professor. Whoever first figured that out deserves credit

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      Hmmm, no.

    • @GameTimeWhy
      @GameTimeWhy 10 місяців тому +4

      ​@pyropulseIXXIwhen will you submit your paper and claim your Nobel prize?

  • @ShamanicKnight
    @ShamanicKnight 10 місяців тому +60

    Eärendil's star was also of particular importance to the Elves by the time of the Third Age, and it became their "most beloved" star. Galadriel set its light in her mirror, capturing some in the phial she gave to Frodo Baggins. When Frodo used the phial against Shelob, he unconsciously cried out an appeal to the Star of Eärendil; its light was effective in repelling the spider, though it would have been more powerful if used continuously. Sam later tried to use the phial in the Crack of Doom, but Sauron's power there dimmed even the light of Eärendil.

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому +3

      Exactly. All fiction like modern astrology.

    • @theterribleanimator1793
      @theterribleanimator1793 10 місяців тому +2

      @@johnkean6852 "modern" astrology? you mean all astrology, the whole thing is frivolous, always was.

  • @shipwreck9146
    @shipwreck9146 10 місяців тому +22

    I don't think Galadriel would be happy if she found out that JWST captured the light of Eärendil.

    • @garethdean6382
      @garethdean6382 10 місяців тому +6

      Just wait until she hears about all those Einstein rings...

    • @w0ttheh3ll
      @w0ttheh3ll 10 місяців тому +1

      JWST is more magical and crafted more cunningly than her mirror, so that's fine

  • @naswinger
    @naswinger 10 місяців тому +10

    it's amazing that hubble is still so useful in finding new things and even that it's still operational

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      And yet there is no photo of our beloved Earth.

    • @GameTimeWhy
      @GameTimeWhy 10 місяців тому +3

      ​@@johnkean6852that's not true. Are you a flat earther?

    • @mugwump7049
      @mugwump7049 10 місяців тому +1

      @@GameTimeWhy He's been spamming this entire comments section with "all science is fiction" bullsh*t. Just ignore the ignoramus.

  • @valentyn.kostiuk
    @valentyn.kostiuk 10 місяців тому +10

    I love the star's name. Beautiful.
    Always admired beauty of Tolkien's characters names.

  • @Secret_Takodachi
    @Secret_Takodachi 10 місяців тому +7

    Somewhere deep in the dark distant past, a voice carried on stellar winds is *still* traveling billions of light years towards us to announce: "FIRST!" 😂

  • @jogandsp
    @jogandsp 10 місяців тому +20

    This is super cool! Thanks for keeping us updated! And a million thanks for writing the closed captions yourself instead of autogenerating them. I know that would have a million mistakes

    • @vintagelady1
      @vintagelady1 10 місяців тому

      True, but the resulting hysterical laughter would be fun too. What would autogen make of "Earendel?" Year-end ell? Year handle? We'll never know.

  • @Serindrackthegreat
    @Serindrackthegreat 10 місяців тому +4

    I am in love with the animations in this episode. Just feels like the perfect balance of sci-fi flair and serious-science-seriousness.

  • @gtbkts
    @gtbkts 10 місяців тому +30

    Thank you for all the awesome content and great videos!!!!

  • @Stogger1459
    @Stogger1459 10 місяців тому +17

    I be watching a video doc. on stars and I finally get what I needed. Thanks Matt!!! So many cool facts I’ve learned. Earendel. Gotta love Tolkien.

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      They're not FACTS don't be deluded.

  • @sanche215
    @sanche215 10 місяців тому +15

    This dude has the most chill voice ever.
    You both put me to sleep because it's so chill and I can't help but get captivated by the topic.
    It helps that I love space lol

    • @evolancer211
      @evolancer211 10 місяців тому

      It's the accent, partially

    • @xbabu142x
      @xbabu142x 10 місяців тому +2

      And space loves you. Jk. Everything in the interstellar medium wants you dead. Yay for toxic love I guess? 😅

  • @Khomann
    @Khomann 10 місяців тому +663

    once I saw George Clooney from far away. Furthest star I've seen

    • @SayAhh
      @SayAhh 10 місяців тому

      Bat nipples!

    • @MCsCreations
      @MCsCreations 10 місяців тому +6

      I saw what you did there.

    • @Stogger1459
      @Stogger1459 10 місяців тому +2

      Hmmmm I was close to Mark Hamill. Couldn’t interact with him 🥺🥺

    • @MattHudsonAtx
      @MattHudsonAtx 10 місяців тому +4

      Once I saw the guy who played Cliff Claven on Cheers

    • @R_V_
      @R_V_ 10 місяців тому +4

      ​@@MattHudsonAtx "the guy who" is the name of no star at all. ;-)

  • @kraftwels
    @kraftwels 10 місяців тому +8

    I love this channel. Watching these videos about new discoveries knowing that more discoveries are constantly being made is exciting and entertaining in a way that's lacking comparison

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      For: "new discoveries" read: "some _way out man_ theories developed reading _The Hobbit_ and _Harry Potter_ ."

  • @Materialist39
    @Materialist39 10 місяців тому +3

    It is under-appreciated to the extent that JWST has been cracking open our universe and refining our theories at a record pace. What a marvelous creation and achievement for humanity.

    • @jainin7682
      @jainin7682 8 місяців тому +1

      Don't forget Hubble! Earendil was discovered with Hubble, and to my eyes, the increased sensitivity of the newer telescope did little to enhance it. (I am aware the spectroscopy of JWST will likely reveal things beyond the capabilities of Hubble)

  • @mina86
    @mina86 10 місяців тому +45

    Even if we find abundance of large stars like that it may be due to survivorship bias rather than large stars being more present in the past. Large, brighter stars have higher chance of being spotted.

    • @nolanwestrich2602
      @nolanwestrich2602 10 місяців тому

      I'd imagine that's also a problem we have to deal with in the modern universe tho. Red dwarfs are a lot dimmer, and I'd imagine our telescopes can't make them out more than several thousand light years away
      (At least we have a good patch of the universe where we're confident we can see all the stars to reference the population of. That probably helps)

    • @garethdean6382
      @garethdean6382 10 місяців тому +5

      On the other hand, they live far shorter lives; the total time they shine will be much less, which is its own bias.

    • @spartaleonidas540
      @spartaleonidas540 10 місяців тому +5

      lol physicist know about survivorship. Its modeled

    • @Yora21
      @Yora21 10 місяців тому +2

      Low mass stars live a lot longer.
      It's quite possible that there is a large number of just as old red dwarf stars pretty close to us. Even at the age of the universe, they would still just now have reached 1% of their total lifetime.

  • @ferranriesgo8171
    @ferranriesgo8171 10 місяців тому +4

    Matt talking Tolkien is just too much to handle

  • @sapelesteve
    @sapelesteve 10 місяців тому +7

    As usual, very informative video Matt! I just can't wrap my mind around "29 Billion Light Years"! 🤔🤔💥💥

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      For 29 billion read; 1 trillion, 250 million, even _infinity_ ... you're guess is as good as his, might be more accurate! You'll never know.

  • @somedude6161
    @somedude6161 10 місяців тому +2

    That lonely star at the end of the universe: would that be next to the restaurant at the end of the universe? I'm planning to go there soon and need to map out my route.

    • @lindaj5492
      @lindaj5492 10 місяців тому

      You matched my first thought when he mentioned “… at the end of the universe” - I wonder if he chose that phrase deliberately as a teaser?

  • @renerpho
    @renerpho 10 місяців тому +5

    1:00 V762 Cassiopeiae is only about 2,500 light-years away, according to data from Gaia. You'll find websites online that claim that it is the most distant visible star, but those are all outdated (by about a decade).

  • @Jebersthechill
    @Jebersthechill 10 місяців тому +9

    It’s crazy to think that when that light was emitted its destination did not exist for billions of years(earth). It is both incredibly cool and frustrating; I mean we can literally look back in time but not at the present. What is out there now?

    • @TheMCCraftingTable
      @TheMCCraftingTable 10 місяців тому +5

      On the flip side, there's no way a star that massive will last long. So when the light ultimately reached its destination, the star it came from no longer existed.

    • @AshleyReynolds-vc6ly
      @AshleyReynolds-vc6ly 10 місяців тому +8

      What is more crazy is that photons do not experience time. From the photon's perspective, the instant it began its journey it arrived here. It left from a star that no longer exists to arrive at a point that did not yet exist in the exact same instant.

    • @danmurray1143
      @danmurray1143 10 місяців тому +1

      @@AshleyReynolds-vc6ly Trippy

  • @Thad94
    @Thad94 10 місяців тому +7

    Space is so amazing

  • @NefariousKoel
    @NefariousKoel 10 місяців тому +4

    Old English and Old Norse didn't just exchange words in the middle ages. They share a common root from long before both. They're in a wider Germanic language group with many words originating in their prehistory. Only later branching off into Norse, English, German, etc. Many of their words, especially regarding these old languages, sound similar due to shared linguistic roots even before their time.
    A bit similar to how British English and American English share many words, but pronunciation, usage, and a few words regarding newer (mostly technological) words are a bit different after 250 years of separation. Like that, but it had been a much longer span of time between those old languages.
    Just a heads-up. 😉

    • @oskarskalski2982
      @oskarskalski2982 10 місяців тому +1

      True, old English is closer to old noise than today's English to old English. Modern English is an amalgam of old English and old French (since old French was a language of english ruling class since 1066 and they despised English as a language of peasants).

    • @lindaj5492
      @lindaj5492 10 місяців тому +1

      @@oskarskalski2982”old noise” = Old Norse? Auto-correct up to its tricks again 😊. Tolkien was well-versed in these old languages; one reason his books are so very rich and rewarding to read.

    • @oskarskalski2982
      @oskarskalski2982 10 місяців тому

      @@lindaj5492 yeah, it was meant to be "Old Norse", auto correct is a b.....

  • @Caddis496
    @Caddis496 10 місяців тому +9

    I love this channel so much. What a time to be alive.

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      Keep taking the feelgood pills, they're the green ones.

    • @Ekam-Sat
      @Ekam-Sat 10 місяців тому

      I love you adorable muf.

  • @RahulSharma-wq4qy
    @RahulSharma-wq4qy 10 місяців тому +9

    Thank you. I was looking for something worth watching.

  • @mho...
    @mho... 10 місяців тому +2

    Nice little Geekout on the Tolkien Background there 😆

  • @ianboelts
    @ianboelts 10 місяців тому +2

    I love this channel because it has given me a basic knowledge of these huge concepts in astrophysics and theoretical physics to help me enjoy fun science fiction like the "Remembrance of Earth's Past" which I just finished. wouldn't have been as enjoyable if i didn't understand some of the deep concepts in the book beforehand

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      Wherein: "the smell of space helps you remember the big bang fom your subconscious memories embedded in your DNA like animal instinct."
      Hmm, no.

  • @Duskraven377
    @Duskraven377 10 місяців тому +12

    So Valinor is 28 billion LY away from us. GOT IT.

    • @h82fail
      @h82fail 10 місяців тому +1

      Now I can rest easy.

    • @Duiker36
      @Duiker36 10 місяців тому

      Whatever gave you the impression that Eärendil was in Valinor? The entire point of the sky boat is that he's *not allowed* back into Valinor.

  • @mozkitolife5437
    @mozkitolife5437 10 місяців тому +4

    What a marvel and engineering phenomenon the JWST is.
    It’s a shame social media has provided a voice for some that can’t grasp the incredible science being performed.

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      ...prosletysed.
      Performed LOL.

    • @mugwump7049
      @mugwump7049 10 місяців тому +1

      @@johnkean6852 Case in point.

    • @mozkitolife5437
      @mozkitolife5437 10 місяців тому

      @@johnkean6852 What?

  • @biomimetical
    @biomimetical 10 місяців тому +1

    This video has achieved the Chandrasekhar limit of my fandoms.. and I, Durin Whitestar, have collapsed in pure delight!

  • @ToeCutter0
    @ToeCutter0 10 місяців тому +1

    Does anyone else agree that we’d enjoy a separate Spacetime episode on gravitational lensing? The fundamentals of gravitational lensing seem relatively straightforward but I’d really like to see more examples, along with the mass of the galaxy clusters that are bending all this ancient light.
    JWST seems uniquely capable of leveraging GL to see distant objects that were beyond the grasp of Hubble’s visible light configuration. I expect we’ll see quite a few images from JWST, and I’d like to understand GL by sending the practical results from GL.

  • @K2CTC
    @K2CTC 10 місяців тому +3

    Just WOW. I remember when Hubble and the Webb telescopes were in their planning stages. Reading national geographic about how they'd be able to peer into the beginnings of the universe. And here we are. Just WOW.

    • @annabago8621
      @annabago8621 9 місяців тому +1

      That is actually very cool

  • @fuurinkazan164
    @fuurinkazan164 10 місяців тому +2

    I hope you cover more of this story as it develops and maybe even explain how they figure out the lensing more accurately. Very cool video thank you!

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      All the people in the commentary were satisfied - YOU have to blow it by asking him to explain all his fantasies again. Doh!

    • @GameTimeWhy
      @GameTimeWhy 10 місяців тому +1

      ​@@johnkean6852what? You don't believe this story?

  • @pelarinbacosiii448
    @pelarinbacosiii448 10 місяців тому +1

    3:39 We fellow Tolkien and Destiny2 nerds salute you, Matt!

  • @anywallsocket
    @anywallsocket 10 місяців тому +6

    Can we have an episode on how time slowed back in the early universe ? Relative to now, due to the difference in mass density? Hawking talked about this in his Universe in a Nutshell book, but no one else seems to have discussed it. Bonus, it means a lot for kurzgesagt’s latest video on possible life in the early universe. 🙏

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      Time only exists in YOUR HEAD it's virtual it doesn't exist.

    • @douglaswilkinson5700
      @douglaswilkinson5700 10 місяців тому +1

      Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity showed that space & time are a single construct, i.e. spacetime. Mass curves spacetime. We experience this curvature as gravity and time dilation.

  • @bazpearce9993
    @bazpearce9993 10 місяців тому +11

    We have to be careful about detection bias here. If we can only see the largest stars at that time, we may start to believe there were more high mass stars than there really were. Just like how when we started to detect exoplanets, all we were finding were hot Jupiters.

    • @iancameron6457
      @iancameron6457 10 місяців тому +4

      I think a lot of smart people have taken this into account

    • @robertastorga
      @robertastorga 10 місяців тому +5

      Not to mention the sample size of 1

    • @bazpearce9993
      @bazpearce9993 10 місяців тому

      @@robertastorga Exactly. Until we can find more we have no idea at all how it really was. Until Webb's successor arrives there's no degree of certtainty as to the mass distribution of early stars.

    • @garethdean6382
      @garethdean6382 10 місяців тому +2

      We are fortunate enough to have the galaxy's light here as well, a mixture of ALL stars in it. This can tell us the average brightness of the stars, as well as their temperature which lets us put some constraints on the stellar mass distribution of the galaxy.

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому +1

      @@bazpearce9993 No certainty of ANYTHING in modern cosmology LOL.
      Too much guesswork and CGI.

  • @caliaslorema3008
    @caliaslorema3008 10 місяців тому +1

    I'm so glad you went over the lore behind the name!

  • @anincandescentlightbulb
    @anincandescentlightbulb 10 місяців тому

    All I can say is, this channel is amazing and Matt is amazing narrator. I've been watching this for years and it's still today the number one source of space news I come to watch now and in the future!

  • @kylben
    @kylben 10 місяців тому +3

    Do observations like this also provide information to get a better handle on some of the properties of the intervening objects that are creating the lensing?

    • @garethdean6382
      @garethdean6382 10 місяців тому +1

      Yes, the curves and multiple images give us information about the cluster's gravitational field. Such information was valuable in, for example, the Bullet Cluster, where the gravity and visible mass didn't exactly align.

  • @CliffTheLich
    @CliffTheLich 10 місяців тому +5

    Hey, this is my first time commenting, and it actually has nothing to do with this episode. I've spent the past month getting caught up on the last four years I missed, and I have a question about the fundamental forces.
    What would happen if all the forces were exactly equal in strength? I'm guessing it would literally be nothing since there would be no imbalance to propel the various interactions that create our reality, but I would really like to hear your thoughts on the subject. Thank you for your consideration.

    • @CliffTheLich
      @CliffTheLich 10 місяців тому +1

      @@mal2ksc Yeah, if Einstein is correct about gravity being the warping of space-time(which it seems to be pretty conclusive given all the predictions that have been verified time, and time again) it is unique, and different from the other forces. It may not be conducive to unification, but time will tell... Or it won't, in which case it could probably just use its space.

    • @garethdean6382
      @garethdean6382 10 місяців тому +1

      If all the fundamental forces we have today were the same strength, we'd be in trouble. The way forces balance is different for each. Using the strong nuclear force as a benchmark, electromagnetism would need to be ramped up a few times, shrinking the sizes of atoms and making many nuclei unstable. (Helium for example, which relies on the strong force overpowering electromagnetism.) This would vastly alter the fusion processes in stars and the elements produced, as well as a lot of chemistry.
      Which would be quite different too, if we include gravity (putting aside its origin) its strength would increase many orders of magnitude, and it doesn't cancel or balance. Lumps of mass the weight of a human would tend to collapse into black holes. Very little matter would be able to gather in one place. Against that, the mess of the weak force's strength change would be a minor inconvenience.

  • @sigstackfault
    @sigstackfault 10 місяців тому +1

    Earendel is also the name of one of the developers of Factorio who makes the Space Exploration mod on the side.

  • @blauskie
    @blauskie 10 місяців тому

    Fixed my morning cup of coffee and sat down to watch this. Whoa! The caffeine level in my brain had not sufficiently accumulated for all that. Paused to smoke a doob and now it all makes perfect sense.

  • @Decodeish1
    @Decodeish1 10 місяців тому +6

    The microphone sounds a bit weird this episode. Like it's been "enhanced" by an AI but it makes it less normal sounding.
    Edit: Oh wait maybe you have been sick!

  • @charles.e.g.
    @charles.e.g. 10 місяців тому +3

    I think that “One Lonely Star at the End of the Universe” should be the title of a dystopian, apocalyptic sci-fi film starring Adam Driver and Rosario Dawson. 🙏

  • @kevincronk7981
    @kevincronk7981 10 місяців тому +2

    The beginning of this video feels like I accidentally skipped ahead a few seconds

  • @joseraulcapablanca8564
    @joseraulcapablanca8564 10 місяців тому +2

    Just to be even more nerdy To,keen first wrote about Earendil in a poem at school, almost his first effort. Amazing to be able to see something so early in our universe. Thanks Doctor O’Dowd.

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому

      Yes, like all modern science, fictional - more philosophy than science.

  • @gregsquires6201
    @gregsquires6201 10 місяців тому +3

    I don't think you have to explain Tolkein to this channel's audience.

  • @jogandsp
    @jogandsp 10 місяців тому +4

    Want to see far away stars? Use this One Weird Trick!

  • @x--.
    @x--. 10 місяців тому +1

    A time capsule in the sky! How cool... And I imagine that whatever is left in the area of that long-gone star has a lens looking back at our early galaxy. I assume it's a two-way lens. What a very clever find and glad it's being put to good use.

  • @aquacruisedb
    @aquacruisedb 10 місяців тому +2

    All of this from just looking up at the sky. It's truly amazing.

    • @johnkean6852
      @johnkean6852 10 місяців тому +1

      No. You have to have read Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Stephen Hawkings books, ALL FICTION. But required reading.

    • @marcpeterson1092
      @marcpeterson1092 10 місяців тому

      Well, and a lot of careful observation, modeling and collaboration.

  • @JPJosefPictures
    @JPJosefPictures 10 місяців тому +3

    First

  • @davidderricott3968
    @davidderricott3968 8 місяців тому

    Imagine being the folks who first spotted this. Like looking back in time and seeing your grandparents when they were young.

  • @Nethershaw
    @Nethershaw 10 місяців тому +1

    I wish PBS Infinite Series were still around to explain the process of deconvolving a strongly lensed image and reconstructing the background image from that deconvolution.

  • @ihaveanunorigionalname
    @ihaveanunorigionalname 10 місяців тому +1

    4:17 thankyou! i was thinking the same thing as soon as i saw the name!

  • @calnjoroge1985
    @calnjoroge1985 10 місяців тому +2

    As a Tolkien fan, I am more happy than fascinated

  • @jeffmason7013
    @jeffmason7013 10 місяців тому

    I watch these videos and don’t completely understand them but I’m glad that someone does.

  • @NewMessage
    @NewMessage 10 місяців тому +1

    * cleans his glasses *
    Nope... still can't see it.

  • @Adubs4379
    @Adubs4379 4 місяці тому

    It made me so happy to hear the very thorough and satisfying Silmarillion reference. It was on my mind the second I heard the real name

  • @joshuapatrick682
    @joshuapatrick682 10 місяців тому +1

    Its crazy that we’re not looking through space with these mega telescopes but through time, i guess the Bootes and Eridanus voids must be the unwritten future?

  • @justins9391
    @justins9391 10 місяців тому +2

    A lot of shows would point out the origin of the name of the star in question. Come to PBS Space Time for the further explanation of the Tolkien reference soundalike.

  • @PlanetXMysteries-pj9nm
    @PlanetXMysteries-pj9nm 9 місяців тому

    Does anyone feel like me that the reading voice is very soothing and it makes me fall asleep very quickly even though there are many new things I need to hear and learn?

  • @SedriqMiers
    @SedriqMiers 9 місяців тому

    Thank you for uploading in 4k unlike other broadcasters its almost 2024 yet they think we're still in 2004.

  • @curtisblake261
    @curtisblake261 10 місяців тому +1

    Two physicists meet in a pub and each says "I don't really look like this".

    • @garethdean6382
      @garethdean6382 10 місяців тому +1

      An astronomer and a particle physicist meet in a bar.
      "You've gained weight I see."
      "Yeas, I've taken up jogging. You haven't, I see."
      "I have, you just can't see most of it."

  • @luudest
    @luudest 10 місяців тому +1

    „At the end of the universe“ is the beginning of the universe.

  • @arnelilleseter4755
    @arnelilleseter4755 10 місяців тому +1

    It is not clear in the video, but the Tolkien character is actually the original inspiration for the stars name.
    The old English morning star helped justify the name. Although a Tolkien reference is justification enough for me.

  • @jsmith3798
    @jsmith3798 10 місяців тому

    Couldn’t have been too many stars kickin’ around back then. This guy probably has to be one of the earliest stars from one of, if not _the_ earliest generation of stars to ever exist. So cool

  • @captainzappbrannagan
    @captainzappbrannagan 10 місяців тому +1

    Truly inspiring. and amazing how we can gleam so much from as spot of light at the edge of observable.... spacetime.

  • @Hobo_X
    @Hobo_X 10 місяців тому

    I just knew that name would have some kind of tie-in to LOTR based on how it sounded. Really cool!

  • @Rubrickety
    @Rubrickety 10 місяців тому +1

    “Gravitational lenses are messier.” Some of them are also Messier.

  • @redsky1433
    @redsky1433 10 місяців тому

    Thank you for your very clear and comprehensive explanation of lensing and early star formation.

  • @ChelseaENC
    @ChelseaENC 10 місяців тому +2

    Thank you for the awesome content!

  • @toughenupfluffy7294
    @toughenupfluffy7294 10 місяців тому +1

    Fun fact: the origination of the term 'caustic' comes from the fact that when the sun's light rays are concentrated into a point, they will burn the material they are hitting. The root for caustic means to burn.

    • @garethdean6382
      @garethdean6382 10 місяців тому

      Lik caustic soda I assume. That's a real neat bit of knowledge there.

  • @ruthjones9237
    @ruthjones9237 10 місяців тому

    “…this one weird trick…” 😂😂😂LOvE it!

  • @curtisblake261
    @curtisblake261 10 місяців тому +1

    We've learned that when using the word "trick" to describe something that helps our understanding, some people will seize on that word and say "It's a trick"! Just in time for Halloween 2023.

    • @hive_indicator318
      @hive_indicator318 10 місяців тому +1

      TFW you're hoping for a Snickers, but get an astrophysics lesson. That'd definitely get the kids to break out the tp. lol

  • @shadowkid4090
    @shadowkid4090 10 місяців тому

    It was awesome hearing you on this weeks star talk with Neil

  • @shreyabose8742
    @shreyabose8742 9 місяців тому

    It happened. You spoke about Tolkien. My nerdy worlds are colliding. I love you.

  • @biblical-events
    @biblical-events 10 місяців тому

    I often wonder how much effort goes into the naming..."R.E.L.I.C" ....Brilliant 😂

  • @martinphipps2
    @martinphipps2 10 місяців тому

    Thank you for not using a misleading click bait title.

  • @DonnyHooterHoot
    @DonnyHooterHoot 7 місяців тому

    You talk about them in the present tense, because we can see them now I suppose, but they are LONG gone! 12.5 billion years or more! Cool video!!!

  • @marceloslacerda
    @marceloslacerda 10 місяців тому

    I wasn't expecting to enjoy this episode so much.

  • @leonvalkenborg2006
    @leonvalkenborg2006 10 місяців тому +1

    The audio on this video seems really good. Might just be me.

  • @futureshocked
    @futureshocked 10 місяців тому +1

    awwww he sounds sick!

  • @richardboland1935
    @richardboland1935 10 місяців тому

    Im loving that its named Earendel!

  • @louisjacobs5820
    @louisjacobs5820 10 місяців тому

    I like how you explains things and break things down

  • @danieltabin6470
    @danieltabin6470 10 місяців тому +1

    Aurvandil isn't a "Norse" character as you say at 3:50, but like Thor, a broadly Germanic mythological character that is shared in Old English and Old Norse languages and mythologies due to shared descent, rather than borrowing

  • @dazrienhaizor8624
    @dazrienhaizor8624 10 місяців тому +2

    They really named the most distant star after the Elf from Lord of the Rings/ Middle Earth Lore who carries a magic gemstone on his crown which shines as bright as a star as he flies through the sky on a floating barge

  • @i_read_bad_reviews
    @i_read_bad_reviews 10 місяців тому

    There is probably so much out there in light spectrums we can even understand how to comprehend.

  • @PhaseControlDNB
    @PhaseControlDNB 10 місяців тому +1

    There's still something I didn't quite get - how is it sure that this is an individual star and not a galaxy?

    • @garethdean6382
      @garethdean6382 10 місяців тому

      Stellar spectra are quite simple, they tend to b 'black body' with a shape starting dim, brightening then dimming again as you move from long to short wavelengths. By contrast a galaxy's spectrum is made of billions of these, with different peaks. It's much more 'broad'; the difference between a single instrument and an entire orchestra.

  • @maartendendaas
    @maartendendaas 10 місяців тому +1

    Wow, such a great and clear narrated episode. Good to follow for every layman. Feels like i'm watching an early episode of space time again. Awesome job, very interesting, excited for follow-ups on this topic in the future

  • @butterfacemcgillicutty
    @butterfacemcgillicutty 10 місяців тому

    So awesome you're a Tolkien nerd!
    Anyone that likes LOTR I highely encourage you to read the Silmarillion, multiple times!

  • @wishcraft4u2
    @wishcraft4u2 10 місяців тому +1

    I like how this episode is about something I can actually understand. There's the concept of redshift, okay, sure, space expands and lightwaves with it, sure. There's a star. It's really far. The galaxy cluster's gravity is lensing its image. Bam. There you go. Simple.