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Helium Reionization in the Early Universe

Helium Reionization in the Early Universe
This ultraviolet-light data from the Hubble Space Telescope's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph shows strong helium II absorption and transmission lines from a quasar, identifying an era 11.7 to 11.3 billion years ago when electrons were stripped from primeval helium atoms – a process called reionization.
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    HE 2347-4342, QSO B2347-4342
  • Release Date
    October 7, 2010
  • Science Release
    Hubble Astronomers Uncover an Overheated Early Universe
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Shull et al., ApJ, 722: 1312-1324, October 20, 2010

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Last Updated
Feb 17, 2025
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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