Oldest ‘dead' galaxy spied by Webb may cause astronomers to revise their understanding of the early universe

Astronomers have discovered the oldest “dead” galaxy ever recorded using the James Webb Space Telescope. The galaxy existed when the universe was about 700 million years old. The researchers are still unsure why the galaxy stopped forming stars so quickly after its birth over 13 billion years ago. This discovery could provide insights into the early universe and the factors that influence star formation within galaxies. The observations revealed that the galaxy experienced a short burst of star formation before suddenly halting. It is billions of light-years away from Earth. Scientists are searching for more galaxies like this to understand why some galaxies stop forming stars and potentially start again.