Astronomers have discovered the oldest 'dead' galaxy using the James Webb Space Telescope, named JADES-GS-z7-01-QU.

The galaxy stopped forming stars only 700 million years after the Big Bang, earlier than any other known 'dead' galaxy by 500 million years.

Star formation in this galaxy lasted a mere 30 to 90 million years before it abruptly ended.

Scientists are exploring reasons for the sudden stop in star formation, such as the presence of a supermassive black hole or energy feedback from star creation.

This discovery challenges existing models of galaxy evolution and illuminates characteristics of the early Universe.