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Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have determined that star formation in the Andromeda galaxy has steadily declined over the past 500 million years, with a particularly steep reduction in the last 40 million years. The study, published Monday in The Astrophysical Journal, analyzed data from two Hubble surveys covering two-thirds of Andromeda’s disk in high detail. The team measured about 200 million individual stars to reconstruct the galaxy’s stellar history, providing insights into processes that may mirror those in our own Milky Way.

The research found that Andromeda’s star formation rate was approximately one solar mass per year 500 million years ago, halving by 40 million years ago and dropping further to about one-fifth of a solar mass per year today. Much of the recent activity has been concentrated in a ring 32,000 light-years from the galaxy’s center, where the decline in star formation is most pronounced. The team attributes the slowdown to a natural phase of reduced activity rather than a shortage of material for new stars.

Investigations into a possible link between Andromeda’s declining star formation and its nearby satellite galaxy M32 (Messier 32) suggest a connection. Data from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Southern Treasury survey indicates reduced star formation near M32, beginning roughly 60 million years ago. While the exact timing of any past interaction remains uncertain, researchers consider M32 the most likely cause of the localized decline in Andromeda’s star-forming regions.

The team plans to expand their analysis by combining Hubble’s archival data with observations from ground-based observatories to deepen understanding of Andromeda’s history. Future contributions are expected from NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will image the entire disk of Andromeda and its surrounding halo, enabling measurements of hundreds of millions of stars and advancing new scientific discoveries.