This Massive Galaxy was Done Forming Stars at Just 1.5 Billion Years Old

Most massive galaxies today aren't forming many stars. So when did these galaxies stop?

By Erika K. Carlson
Dec 20, 2019 7:00 PMDec 20, 2019 7:18 PM
EarlyGalaxyStoppedStarFormationImage
The distant galaxy marked in this image from the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field is now the earliest known example of a massive galaxy that has stopped forming stars. (Credit: NAOJ)

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Astronomers have discovered a distant, massive galaxy, seen as it was at about 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. And it seems to be done forming stars. It's the earliest known example of a massive galaxy that has finished forming stars. And it implies that other massive galaxies may have completed the first phase of their growth this early in the universe’s history as well. 

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