A phenomenon called gravitational lensing turned a galaxy into a "hall of mirrors of cosmic proportions," allowing for the discovery.

Using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have observed a galaxy nearly 6.5 billion light-years from Earth, and identified 44 individual stars.

Telescopes like Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope can observe some incredibly distant galaxies, stretching all the way back to the early universe. However, spotting individual stars in distant galaxies is tricky even for Webb and its massive primary mirror.

The James Webb Space Telescope captured images of 44 individual stars in a gorgeous portrait of a distant galaxy.