Astronomers discover 22 more galaxies

PASADENA, Calif., Nov. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. and Japanese astronomers say they've discovered 22 galaxies, and confirmed one galaxy formed as early as 787 million years after the Big Bang.

Led by Masami Ouchi of the Carnegie Observatories, the team of astronomers said their finding pinpoints when an era called the reionization epoch likely began -- the farthest back in time that astronomers can observe.

The scientists conducted a survey of a large area of the sky from 2006-2009 using a custom-made, wide-field camera on Japan's 8.3-meter Subaru Telescope, located at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii.

"What makes this study different is that we surveyed an area that is over 100 times larger than previous ones and, as a result, had a larger sample of early galaxies than past surveys," said Ouchi.

The research is to appear in the December issue of the Astrophysical Journal.