13.1 billion light years: Galaxy is most distant object in universe

AN ancient galaxy has entered the record books after being confirmed as the most distant object in the universe.

The collection of stars, known as UDFy-38135539, is 13.1 billion light years away – meaning its light has taken almost the whole of the life of the universe to reach the Earth.

When the light photons (units of light) detected by astronomers began their journey, the universe was only 4% of its present age.