Advertisement

Astronomers discover 'most distant galaxy'

An artist's rendition of the newly-discovered most distant galaxy, code-named z8-GND-5296 Credit: University of California/PA Wire

Astronomers say they have detected the most distant galaxy to date after spotting it through NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

The galaxy, which has the code name z8-GND-5296, is made up of stars whose light began travelling to Earth 700 million years after the so-called 'Big Bang'.

Studies have revealed the galaxy is rich in metal, generating a huge number of new stars.

Scientists say the discovery will enable them to study the earliest formation of galaxies and explore how they've evolved throughout the age of the universe.