These galaxy groups and clusters are rich environments filled with dark matter, hot gas, and supermassive black holes, all of which play a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies.

This extensive catalog includes nearly 1,700 galaxy groups, covering a time span from approximately 12 billion years ago to 1 billion years ago, and is set to be published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Galaxies are known to cluster in dense regions connected by filaments, forming a structure referred to as the cosmic web, with the majority residing in groups or clusters.

Among these findings, the faintest galaxies in the dataset are an astonishing 1 billion times dimmer than what the human eye can perceive, offering a rare glimpse into the early universe.

Observations indicate that deeper views of the universe reveal irregularly shaped galaxies with high star formation rates, while those closer to the present appear more symmetric and have reduced star formation.

Ghassem Gozaliasl from Aalto University, who led the detection team, emphasized that this sample enables the study of galaxy evolution over a remarkable 12 billion-year timeline.

A team of international astronomers has unveiled the largest sample of galaxy groups ever detected, utilizing data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in the COSMOS Web area.

By studying these galaxy groups, astronomers can gain insights into the formation of giant galaxies at their centers, particularly through the process of mergers, as detailed in Gozaliasl's publications.

The JWST, which commenced operations in 2022, is the largest telescope in space, providing unprecedented resolution and sensitivity for observing distant galaxies.

This study marks a significant milestone in extragalactic astronomy, offering profound insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies and the large-scale structure of the universe.