00:00In 2022, the James Webb Telescope spotted a tiny red dot called C-E-E-R-S-93316.
00:09Astronomers were stunned.
00:11Its light suggested a redshift of 16.4, placing it just 250 million years after the Big Bang.
00:19If true, it was a record-shattering, impossible galaxy.
00:23But in science, a second look changes everything.
00:27Follow-up spectroscopy in 2023 revealed a cosmic masquerade.
00:33It wasn't an ancient primordial giant, but a much closer dusty galaxy at a redshift of 4.9.
00:41Hot gas and dust had mimicked the colors of the early universe, perfectly catfishing our most advanced telescope.
00:48It was a humbling reminder.
00:50In the deep reaches of space, looks can be deceiving and confirmation.
00:57Is everything.
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