A group of astronomers have made history by capturing an image of a record number of stars from a time when the universe was half its age.

The astronomers detected 44 stars in the “Dragon Arc” galaxy, located 6.5 billion light years away from our own Milky Way, using NASA’s ultra-powerful James Webb Space Telescope. However, the discovery was also only possible because of a well-known concept in the world of physics: gravitational lensing.

First developed as part of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, its use here could help chart new interstellar territory, says Jacqueline McCleary, an assistant professor of physics at Northeastern University.

“We’re getting a window into what star formation looked like at a much earlier time in the universe’s history to which we would otherwise not have access,” McCleary says. “This is like a magical time machine allowing us to see what even individual stars look like at this early period.”

Read more from Northeastern Global News.

Photo by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope