ABSTRACT

Locating and characterizing the properties of the
earliest galaxies represents the final frontier in our understanding
of cosmic history. Most likely the first systems were low mass
objects which merged to form the larger galaxies we see at redshifts 5-6.
Their abundance and star formation rates may have been sufficient to
reionize the Universe bringing the `Dark Ages' to a close.
The lecture will describe the observational challenges we face in locating
this population with present facilities, the progress made so far, and
the importance of continuing this quest in preparation for more
detailed studies with the James Webb Space Telescope.