PAN-z14-1
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(334.25035598 deg)[1]
(0.3792145611 deg)[1]
| PAN-z14-1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Right ascension | 22h 17m 00.11s (334.25035598 deg)[1] |
| Declination | +00° 22′ 44.7″ (0.3792145611 deg)[1] |
| Redshift | 13.53+0.05 −0.06[1] |
| Distance | 13.482 billion light-years (light travel distance) 33.428 billion light-years (proper distance)[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 20.6±0.2[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | Lyman-break galaxy |
| Half-light radius (physical) | 760±33 ly (233±10 pc)[1] |
| Notable features | It is the fourth most distant confirmed discovered galaxy. |
PAN-z14-1 is a high-redshift Lyman-break galaxy in the constellation Aquarius, discovered in late 2023 by the James Webb Space Telescope as part of a pure parallel observation program and spectroscopically confirmed in mid-January 2026.[1] Its redshift is z = 13.53, making it the fourth most distant galaxy known to date. According to the modern Lambda-CDM model, this redshift corresponds to a time approximately 310 million years after the Big Bang.[1]
PAN-z14-1 was first observed in November 2023 as part of the PANORAMIC program, using the NIRCam digital camera on the James Webb Space Telescope.[1]
In January 2026, an international team of researchers published the results of a spectroscopic analysis conducted using the NIRSpec instrument.[1] The spectrum confirmed the presence of a sharp Lyman break, caused by the absorption of short-wavelength radiation by neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium. Based on the measurements, the precise redshift value was determined to be 13.53.[1]
Physical Characteristics
PAN-z14-1 is classified as an anomalously bright galaxy in the ultraviolet, with an effective radius of just 233±10 parsecs, or 760±33 light-years.[1] The galaxy's absolute stellar magnitude is −20.6±0.2, making it one of the brightest galaxies with a redshift of z > 10.[1] The slope of the continuum in the galaxy's ultraviolet emission lines is β = −2.26±0.08, meaning it is negative or blue. This indicates the presence of a moderately metal-enriched stellar population and possible traces of primordial interstellar dust, which is uncharacteristic of hypothetical metal-free Population III stars.[1] The spectrum exhibits a strong Lyman-alpha break, typical of objects at high redshifts, as well as signs of ionized hydrogen.[1]
The stellar mass of this galaxy is estimated at log(M⋆/M⊙) = 8.23+1.14
−0.21, which is equivalent to 169,824,000 solar masses.[1]
NIRCam data reveal that the galaxy is not a homogeneous sphere. Its structure shows distinct knots or clumps. This could be interpreted either as the result of a merger of two smaller protogalaxies or as the fragmentation of dense gas clouds within a single dark matter halo.[1]
The star formation rate of PAN-z14-1 is estimated at 4.8+13.6
−4.8 solar masses per year. This star formation intensity, combined with its relatively small size, results in an extremely high surface brightness.[1]
According to the current ΛCDM parameters, this redshift of 13.53 corresponds to a light-travel distance (lookback time) of 13.482 billion years. However, due to the expansion of the Universe, its comoving distance is 33.428 Gly.[2]
In terms of physical properties, PAN-z14-1 is strikingly similar to the previously confirmed galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0.[1] The absence of strong emission lines and its large physical size are consistent with a forming picture of two potentially distinct galaxy populations at z > 10, differing in their star formation rate surface density.[1] In this scenario, PAN-z14-1 is the second example of a "normal," extended, bright, star-forming galaxy at z ≈ 14, and it notably differs from another class of extremely compact galaxies with strong emission lines recently discovered at extreme redshifts by JWST.[1]
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