--- title: "Hubble Rewrites the Picture of Reionization: Supernova Explosions Hindered the Glow of First Galaxies" description: "Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have found that supernova explosions may have hindered, rather than helped, the first galaxies in emitting ultraviolet light during the universe's epoch of reionization." date: 2026-11-01T06:15:53.557Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/hubble-rewrites-reionization-picture-supernovae tags: [hubble, supernovae, reionization, astronomy, nature-astronomy, early-universe] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Hubble Rewrites the Picture of Reionization: Supernova Explosions Hindered the Glow of First Galaxies ![Hubble Space Telescope against the backdrop of planet Earth and the starry sky in space](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/01/hubble-perevernul-kartinu-reionizatsii-vzryvy-sverhnovyh-meshaly-pervym-galaktikam-svetitsya/hubble-perevernul-kartinu-reionizatsii-vzryvy-sverhnovyh-meshaly-pervym-galaktikam-svetitsya-1.webp) ## Key Points - Hubble observations revealed an inverse relationship: galaxies with the fastest supernova winds transmitted the lowest fraction of ultraviolet radiation - The energy of supernova explosions increased the coverage of neutral gas and dust that trapped photons inside the galaxies - The results support an alternative theory: young star radiation, not supernovae, played the primary role in reionization - Scientists must revise hydrodynamic models of universe evolution and secure additional Hubble observation time An international team of astronomers, relying on observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, has reached a conclusion that could revise one of the key models of early universe evolution. The research results have been published in the journal Nature Astronomy. The scientists showed that supernova explosions in the first galaxies likely did not clear a path for ultraviolet radiation, as had been assumed for decades, but instead created barriers of neutral gas and dust that trapped photons within the galaxies. ### The Fog That Hid the Universe For roughly the first billion years after the Big Bang, outer space was filled with a dense "fog" of neutral hydrogen. This gas efficiently absorbed ultraviolet radiation, making the universe opaque to that part of the spectrum. As the first stars and galaxies formed, their powerful radiation began splitting hydrogen atoms into protons and electrons—a process known as the Epoch of Reionization. It was this process that transformed the universe into a transparent medium, allowing light to travel across cosmological distances. ### The Inverse Relationship Discovered by Hubble For a long time, hydrodynamic models were dominated by the hypothesis that supernova explosions generated powerful galactic winds, blowing neutral gas out of the neighborhoods of young stars and opening channels for ultraviolet photons to escape. However, the research team analyzed the spectra of star-forming galaxies and found a different picture: galaxies with the fastest supernova-driven winds transmitted the smallest fraction of ultraviolet radiation. According to observational data, the energy of the explosions disrupted the surrounding environment and increased the coverage of light-trapping neutral gas and dust rather than destroying it. ### Young Stars as the Main "Lanterns" of Reionization These findings support an alternative theory in which the central role in reionization is played not by supernova activity, but by the radiation and weaker local winds of young stars during the early stages of galactic development. According to this new perspective, these processes allowed photons to leave galaxies even before powerful galactic winds from supernovae could form. Thus, the universe's first "lanterns" were ignited not during catastrophic explosions, but during a period of relatively calm existence for hot young stars. ### Model Adjustments and Future Plans Supernova explosions still hold a central place in modern hydrodynamic models describing the evolution of the universe. The new study means scientists will need to make significant adjustments to computer simulations to account for the impact of young star radiation by the time of the first supernova outbursts. The research team is already planning to secure additional observation time on the Hubble Telescope to analyze the spectra of other galaxies and test their conclusions on a broader sample of objects. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Астрономы могли ошибаться: Hubble обнаружил неожиданную роль звездных взрывов](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/astronomi-mogli-pomilyatisya-hubble-viyaviv-1793271963.html) - The primary source contains all key facts: publication in Nature Astronomy, Hubble observations, the inverse relationship between wind speed and UV transmission, the role of young stars in reionization, and plans for additional observations. ## FAQ ### What exactly did astronomers discover using the Hubble Space Telescope? Scientists analyzed the spectra of star-forming galaxies and found that galaxies with the fastest winds associated with supernova explosions transmitted the lowest fraction of ultraviolet radiation. This contradicts the previous model, which viewed supernovae as path-clearers for photons. ### What is the Epoch of Reionization? This is a period in the early universe when the radiation from the first stars and galaxies split neutral hydrogen into protons and electrons, making space transparent to ultraviolet light. The process concluded roughly several hundred million years after the Big Bang. ### What role did young stars play according to the new study? According to the confirmed alternative theory, the radiation and weak local winds of young stars allowed ultraviolet photons to escape galaxies before powerful galactic winds from supernovae could form. Thus, young stars, not explosions, were the primary sources of reionization. ### What is next for this research? The research team plans to obtain additional observation time on the Hubble Telescope to analyze the spectra of other galaxies. Scientists also need to adjust existing hydrodynamic models of universe evolution.