Washington: Astronomers have successfully detected a carbon emission line (CIV, 154.9 nm) in the most distant radio galaxy known so far in the early universe, using the Subaru Telescope.
With the help of the Faint Object Camera and Spectrograph (FOCAS) on the Subaru Telescope, the team observed the radio galaxy TN J0924-2201, which is 12.5 billion light-years away.
The astronomers mainly from Ehime University and Kyoto University in Japan, was also able to measure its chemical composition for the first time.
Their investigation of the detected carbon line showed that a significant amount of carbon existed as early as 12.5 billion years ago, less than a billion years after the Big Bang.
This important finding contributes to our understanding of the chemical evolution of the universe and may provide clues about the chemical nature of humans, who are composed of various elements such as carbon and oxygen.
Our universe began with the Big Bang, about 13.7 billion years ago.
ANI
First Published: Thursday, October 06, 2011, 12:22