An international team, led by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), has observed the most distant fossil galaxy ever found: KiDS J0842+0059. Located approximately 3 billion light-years from Earth, this galaxy offers a glimpse into the early universe.
Fossil galaxies formed rapidly in the early universe, producing most of their stars within the first three billion years after the Big Bang. They remain largely unchanged since then, appearing dense, compact, and populated by stars rich in heavy elements, with no ongoing star formation.
The study of KiDS J0842+0059, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, confirmed its compact, disk-like structure. Its surface mass density resembles extreme local fossil galaxies like NGC 1277. This suggests the galaxy formed early and avoided galactic mergers, offering insights into the formation of the first galaxies and the evolution of the universe.