Astronomers have uncovered an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy near Andromeda that may date back 12.5 billion years, offering clues about the universe's earliest structures. This discovery could reshape our understanding of galaxy formation.

And XXXVI is just 1,300 light-years across—smaller than some star clusters

Its ancient stars contain virtually no heavy elements, suggesting early formation

Researchers will study its dark matter halo using upcoming James Webb Telescope observations

Such galaxies may be 'building blocks' of larger galaxies like Andromeda

And XXXVI contains just 100,000 stars—0.0001% as many as the Milky Way.

Ancient Cosmic Relic: 12.5-Billion-Year-Old Galaxy Found Near Andromeda