It's possible, he says, that there might be some unforeseen process at work that could change current understanding
of early star formation.
The dwarf galaxy also is of interest because it provides clues to how the early simple universe became re-ionized
by early star formation, moving it from the so - called cosmic Dark Ages of neutral gases to the development of the complexly structured universe now in existence, where the gas between galaxies is ionized.
I think the surprise that is definitely there is the evidence
for early star formation, just 100 million years after the Big Bang.
And Laporte concludes: «Further measurements of this kind offer the exciting prospect of
tracing early star formation and the creation of the heavier chemical elements even further back into the early Universe.»
«The last 25 years have been devoted to perfecting observing techniques and instruments to allow us to
see early star formation.
One of TMT's first - light instruments, WFOS (see below) will also allow new understanding of the composition of the intergalactic medium that fills space, revealing how heavy elements were spread
by early star formation.