List of the most distant astronomical objects


This article lists the most distant astronomical objects discovered and verified so far, and the time periods in which they were so classified.
For comparisons with the years after the Big Bang of the astronomical objects listed below, the age of the universe is currently estimated as 13.787 ± 0.020 billion years. However, the estimated age of the universe has increased over the years as the observational techniques have been refined. For the discovery of IOK-1 in 2006 had an estimate of 13.66 billion years for the age of the universe.
Distances to remote objects, other than those in nearby galaxies, are nearly always inferred by measuring the cosmological redshift of their light. By their nature, very distant objects tend to be very faint, and these distance determinations are difficult and subject to errors. An important distinction is whether the distance is determined via spectroscopy or using a photometric redshift technique. The former is generally both more precise and also more reliable, in the sense that photometric redshifts are more prone to being wrong due to confusion with lower redshift sources that may have unusual spectra. For that reason, a spectroscopic redshift is conventionally regarded as being necessary for an object's distance to be considered definitely known, whereas photometrically determined redshifts identify "candidate" very distant sources. Here, this distinction is indicated by a "p" subscript for photometric redshifts. Apart from most commonly used distance measurements for high redshift objects, an alternative is to calculate how old the object is in relation to the Big Bang and the column "Years after the Big Bang" shows these values.

Most distant spectroscopically-confirmed objects

ImageNameRedshift
Years after the Big Bang TypeNotes
MoM-z14z = GalaxyLuminous Lyman-break galaxy, detection of the Lyman break with JWST/NIRSpec.
JADES-GS-z14-0z = GalaxyThe detection of 88μm line emission with a significance of 6.67σ and at a frequency of 223.524 GHz, corresponding to a redshift of 14.1796±0.0007, using ALMA.
JADES-GS-z14-1z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy, detection of the Lyman break with JWST/NIRSpec.
PAN-z14-1z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy, detection of the Lyman break with JWST/NIRSpec.
JADES-GS-z13-0z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy, detection of the Lyman break with JWST/NIRSpec.
UNCOVER-z13z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy, detection of the Lyman break with JWST/NIRSpec.
JADES-GS-z13-1z = 13.0GalaxyLyman-alpha emitter, discovered by JWST in 2025.
JADES-GS-z12-0z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy, detection of the Lyman break with JWST/NIRCam and JWST/NIRSpec, and CIII] line emission with JWST/NIRSpec.
UNCOVER-z12z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy, detection of the Lyman break with JWST/NIRSpec.
GLASS-z12
z = GalaxyDetection of the rest-frame 88 μm atomic transition from doubly ionized oxygen using ALMA.
UDFj-39546284z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy, detection of the Lyman break with JWST/NIRSpec.
CEERS J141946.36+525632.8
z GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST.
CEERS2-588
z GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST.
GN-z11z = 10.6034 ± 0.0013GalaxyLyman-break galaxy; detection of the Lyman break with HST at 5.5σ and carbon emission lines with Keck/MOSFIRE at 5.3σ. Conclusive redshift by JWST in February 2023
JADES-GS-z10-0
z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy, detection of the Lyman break with JWST/NIRSpec
JD1z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy, detection of the Lyman break with JWST/NIRSpec
Gz9p3z = 9.3127 ± 0.0002GalaxyA galaxy merger with a redshift estimated from , Ne and H emission lines detected with JWST.
MACS1149-JD1z = GalaxyDetection of hydrogen emission line with the VLT, and oxygen line with ALMA
EGSY8p7 z = GalaxyLyman-alpha emitter; detection of Lyman-alpha with Keck/MOSFIRE at 7.5σ confidence
SMACS-4590z = 8.496GalaxyDetection of hydrogen, oxygen, and neon emission lines with JWST/NIRSpec
A2744 YD4z = 8.38GalaxyLyman-alpha and emission detected with ALMA at 4.0σ confidence
MACS0416 Y1z = Galaxy emission detected with ALMA at 6.3σ confidence
GRB 090423z = Gamma-ray burstLyman-alpha break detected
RXJ2129-11002z = Galaxy doublet, Hβ, and doublet as well as Lyman-alpha break detected with JWST/NIRSpec prism.
RXJ2129-11022z = Galaxy doublet and Hβ as well as Lyman-alpha break detected with JWST/NIRSpec prism.
EGS-zs8-1z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy
SMACS-0723-6355z = 7.665GalaxyDetection of hydrogen, oxygen, and neon emission lines with JWST/NIRSpec
z7_GSD_3811z = GalaxyLyman-alpha emitter
SMACS-0723-10612z = 7.658GalaxyDetection of hydrogen, oxygen, and neon emission lines with JWST/NIRSpec
QSO J0313–1806z = QuasarLyman-alpha break detected
ULAS J1342+0928z = QuasarRedshift estimated from emission
z8_GND_5296z = 7.51GalaxyLyman-alpha emitter
A1689-zD1z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy
GS2_1406z = GalaxyLyman-alpha emitter
GN-108036z = 7.213GalaxyLyman alpha emitter
SXDF-NB1006-2Galaxy emission detected
BDF-3299z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy
ULAS J1120+0641z = QuasarRedshift estimated from Si III]+C III] and Mg II emission lines
A1703 zD6z = GalaxyGravitationally-lensed Lyman-alpha emitter
BDF-521z = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy
IOK-1z = 6.965GalaxyLyman-alpha emitter
GDS_1408
z = GalaxyLyman-alpha emitter and VLT spectroscopy.

Candidate most distant objects

Since the beginning of the James Webb Space Telescope's science operations in June 2022, numerous distant galaxies far beyond what could be seen by the Hubble Space Telescope have been discovered thanks to the JWST's capability of seeing far into the infrared.
Previously in 2012, there were about 50 possible objects z = 8 or farther, and another 100 candidates at z = 7, based on photometric redshift estimates released by the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field project from observations made between mid-2002 and December 2012.
Some objects included here have been observed spectroscopically, but had only one emission line tentatively detected, and are therefore still considered candidates by researchers.
NameRedshift
TypeNotes
H-ATLAS J143740.9+021731z = 33.79GalaxyDiscovered in the 2019 SHALOS survey, it is a potential submillimeter galaxy.
Capotauro
z ~ GalaxyA spectro-photometric analysis of JWST/NIRCam, MIRI, and NIRSpec/MSA data with HST/ACS and WFC3 observations.
MIDIS-z25-3zp = GalaxyA selection based on photometry, photometric redshift probability distributions and visual inspection, based on the JWST/NIRCam data provided by the MIRI Deep Imaging Survey.
F200DB-045zp =
or or 		GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST
NOTE: The redshift value of the galaxy presented by the procedure in one study may differ from the values presented in other studies using different procedures.
GLIMPSE 70467zp = GalaxyLyman-break selection and photometry
F200DB-175zp = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST
S5-z17-1
or 		GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST; tentative ALMA detection of a single emission line possibly attributed to either or .
F150DB-041zp =
or 		GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST
SMACS-z16azp =
or 		GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST
F200DB-015zp = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST
F200DB-181zp = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST
F200DB-159zp = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST
GLIMPSE 72839zp = GalaxyLyman-break selection and photometry
F200DB-086zp =
or 		GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST
SMACS-z16bzp =
or 		GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST
F150DB-048zp = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST
F150DB-007zp = GalaxyLyman-break galaxy discovered by JWST