"It's no secret that the Universe and the objects present within it, as we see them all today, have changed over time as the Universe has grown up over the past 13.8 billion years. Galaxies are larger, more massive, more evolved, and are richer in stars but fewer in number than they were back in the early stages of cosmic history."
"That's why an observing program like COSMOS-Web, the largest, widest-field JWST observing program to date, is so important. It isn't just revealing galaxies as they are nearby (at late times), at a variety of intermediate distances (and earlier times), and at ultra-large distances (and the earliest times of all), but due to its wide-field nature, is revealing galaxy types of varying abundances: the common-type galaxies, galaxies that are representative of more uncommon varieties, and even significant numbers of rare galaxies."
"That follow up question requires not just looking at the snapshot of the Universe we get by looking nearby, but rather a look all throughout cosmic history, at the common, uncommon, and rare galaxies all across the Universe. Thanks to JWST, and particularly with its wide-field but still deep observing programs like COSMOS-Web, we're uncovering profound insights, and learning to ask new follow-up questions, like never before."
The Universe and its objects have evolved over 13.8 billion years, with galaxies becoming larger, more massive, and richer in stars while fewer in number. Observations at greater distances probe earlier cosmic times but are constrained by telescope depth, wavelength coverage, and sky area. Wide-field, deep JWST programs such as COSMOS-Web span a range of distances and capture galaxies of varying abundances, including common, uncommon, and rare types. Such surveys allow statistical studies across cosmic history, improve understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, and generate new, testable follow-up questions about population origins and growth pathways.
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