Galaxies are surrounded by a large reservoir of gas called the circumgalactic medium (CGM), where they refuel and recycle the gas for forming stars and growing in mass. This gas is extremely dim, with current observations being limited to spectral lines that are hard to interpret. It is therefore challenging to understand the mass, distribution, and physical conditions prevalent in the CGM. Recently, a group of researchers at MPA serendipitously discovered bright oxygen emission around a massive galaxy group in the distant universe using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In collaboration with other international scientists and by combining various observations, the study provides a detailed and unprecedented view of the CGM, showing how galaxies influence the gas and their environment.
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