Hubble telescope captures a "cosmic fossil" 3 million light-years away. Photo

The American Hubble Space Telescope (Hubble) has captured an unusually isolated "space fossil". According to scientists, it can provide new insights into the formation of galaxies.

We are talking about the dwarf galaxy Tucana, which is located about 3 million light years from Earth, at the far edge of the local group of galaxies. This group includes our Milky Way, Space.com writes.

Researchers are speculating that the dwarf galaxy Tucana may have retreated to this secluded corner of space after a close encounter with its larger galactic neighbor, Andromeda, about 11 billion years ago.

According to NASA, this galaxy is home to older stars, so experts believe that it may contain traces of the early universe. "The presence of such pristine properties allows scientists to consider Tucana Dwarf as a cosmic fossil," NASA said in a statement releasing the new image.

A brilliant new Hubble image of the Tucana dwarf galaxy has captured billions of twinkling stars against the dark background of space. Although these stars appear to shine brightly in the photo, they are actually dim due to their advanced age.

"As a dwarf spheroidal galaxy, it is much smaller and less bright than most other dwarf galaxies. The dust is sparse and the stellar population is skewed toward the older range, giving them a dimmer appearance," NASA scientists explained.

The study of the structure, composition, and evolution of the stars of the galaxy will help researchers better understand the era when the first stars and galaxies were formed billions of years ago.

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