Am I understanding correctly that the first light came before the first star?
Yes, photons were released when the universe began to cool enough for electrons to combine with protons to make the first neutral hydrogen atoms. Those first photons are now observed as the Cosmic Microwave Background.
This article presents evidence that the cause of those primordial neutral hydrogen atoms having their electrons stripped away again was not primarily huge celestial formations like supermassive black holes or giant galaxies. Instead, it looks like the early universe produced such a large number of small galaxies that the light from stars in those small galaxies did the deed.
Than you so much for the ELI5!
What does "tiny dwarf galaxy" mean? How big is "tiny?" Half the size of a regular galaxy? Solar-system-sized? Small enough to fit in the palm of my hand? And how is "galaxy" defined when stars don't exist yet?
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