A dead galaxy that ceased star formation 13 billion years after the Big Bang has astounded astronomers with its discovery through the James Webb Space Telescope, offering insight into the ancient universe.
The galaxy, known as JADES-GS-z7-01-QU, is the oldest of its kind ever observed, having been created when the universe was just 700 million years old and in a highly active star-forming phase. However, this rapid star formation abruptly ceased, earning it the moniker of “He lived fast and died young” from researchers led by Tobias Looser of the University of Cambridge.
Galaxies require a plentiful supply of gas, mainly hydrogen, to create new stars, with the early universe resembling “an all-you-can-eat buffet” of gas clouds. When these gas fragments and dust come together due to gravitational attraction, stars are born through nuclear fusion reactions.
The sudden halt in star formation in JADES-GS-z7-01-QU could be attributed to phenomena like black hole formation or star formation feedback, where the expulsion of gas into space diminishes the necessary material to birth new stars.
Interestingly, the fate of our own Milky Way galaxy is not exempt from cosmic collisions. Scientists predict it will collide with the neighboring Andromeda galaxy in around 4 billion years, leading to the eventual demise of our solar system’s sun swallowing everything in its orbit.
As the James Webb Space Telescope observes JADES-GS-z7-01-QU billions of light-years away, astronomers remain intrigued by the possibility of the galaxy reviving star formation conditions, a mystery that may be unraveled by future generations.
This groundbreaking discovery, detailed in a recent Nature publication, sheds light on the vast and enigmatic universe, prompting further exploration into the origins and fates of celestial bodies.