Astronomers have discovered an incredibly rare system in which at least five galaxies from the early universe are merging — just 800 million years after the Big Bang. The remarkable discovery was made using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Hubble Space Telescope.
Galaxy mergers play a key role in galaxy formation in the early universe. While not commonly seen, merging systems do occur, typically involving two galaxies. However, the newly identified merger, nicknamed JWST's Quintet, contains at least five galaxies and 17 galaxy clumps.
