'Fossil Galaxy' discovered 3 billion light-years away

Italian scientists have discovered a galaxy located 3 billion light-years away that has remained almost unchanged for 7 billion years. This structure, named KiDS J0842+0059, is one of the rare examples known in the astronomy world as a "fossil galaxy."

Fossil galaxies are defined as celestial bodies that rapidly formed stars in the early periods of the universe but then remained isolated without merging with other galaxies. Thanks to these characteristics, they offer important information about the formation of the universe.

According to scientists, giant galaxies generally form in two stages. In the first stage, stars are born very rapidly, and the galaxy becomes a very dense, small structure. In the second stage, mergers with surrounding galaxies begin, and the structure grows and develops. However, fossil galaxies hardly experience this second phase.

KiDS J0842+0059 formed in the early universe and subsequently did not experience any mergers. Researchers state that 99.5% of the galaxy's stars formed at a very early stage.