Euclid: Early Release Observations – The star formation history of massive early-type galaxies in the Perseus cluster^★

¹ Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France
² INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Via della Scienza 5, 09047 Selargius (CA), Italy
³ Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
⁴ INAF-Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Via Piero Gobetti 93/3, 40129 Bologna, Italy
⁵ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy
⁶ Dipartimento di Fisica “G. Occhialini”, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, 20126 Milano, Italy
⁷ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via Brera 28, 20122 Milano, Italy
⁸ Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, UK
⁹ Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent, Krijgslaan 281 S9, 9000 Gent, Belgium
¹⁰ Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, Bd de l’Observatoire, CS 34229, 06304 Nice cedex 4, France
¹¹ Institut universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, 75231 PARIS CEDEX 05, France
¹² Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux, CNRS and Université de Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy St, Hilaire, 33165 Pessac, France
¹³ Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, 98bis Boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France
¹⁴ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
¹⁵ Universidad de La Laguna, Dpto. Astrofísica, E-38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
¹⁶ Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstr. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
¹⁷ Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg, UMR 7550, 67000 Strasbourg, France
¹⁸ Department of Physics and Astronmy, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
¹⁹ Department of Physics & Astronomy, Allen Building, 30A Sifton Rd, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
²⁰ ESAC/ESA, Camino Bajo del Castillo, s/n., Urb. Villafranca del Castillo, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
²¹ IFPU, Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe, via Beirut 2, 34151 Trieste, Italy
²² INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Via G. B. Tiepolo 11, 34143 Trieste, Italy
²³ INFN, Sezione di Trieste, Via Valerio 2, 34127 Trieste TS, Italy
²⁴ SISSA, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste TS, Italy
²⁵ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna, Via Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
²⁶ INFN-Sezione di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
²⁷ Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Scheinerstr. 1, 81679 München, Germany
²⁸ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
²⁹ INFN-Sezione di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
³⁰ Department of Physics “E. Pancini”, University Federico II, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Napoli, Italy
³¹ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy
³² INFN-Sezione di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino, Italy
³³ INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Via Osservatorio 20, 10025 Pino Torinese (TO), Italy
³⁴ Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
³⁵ Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
³⁶ INAF-IASF Milano, Via Alfonso Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy
³⁷ Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
³⁸ Port d’Informació Científica, Campus UAB, C. Albareda s/n, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
³⁹ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via Frascati 33, 00078 Monteporzio Catone, Italy
⁴⁰ INFN section of Naples, Via Cinthia 6, 80126 Napoli, Italy
⁴¹ Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
⁴² Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi” – Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy
⁴³ Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
⁴⁴ European Space Agency/ESRIN, Largo Galileo Galilei 1, 00044 Frascati, Roma, Italy
⁴⁵ Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IP2I Lyon, UMR 5822, Villeurbanne F-69100, France
⁴⁶ Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICCUB), Universitat de Barcelona (IEEC-UB), Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
⁴⁷ Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
⁴⁸ Institut de Ciencies de l’Espai (IEEC-CSIC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, s/n Cerdanyola del Vallés, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
⁴⁹ UCB Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IUF, IP2I Lyon, 4 rue Enrico Fermi, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
⁵⁰ Department of Astronomy, University of Geneva, ch. d’Ecogia 16, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
⁵¹ Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS/IN2P3, CPPM, Marseille, France
⁵² INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00100 Roma, Italy
⁵³ Space Science Data Center, Italian Space Agency, via del Politecnico snc, 00133 Roma, Italy
⁵⁴ INFN-Bologna, Via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna, Italy
⁵⁵ University Observatory, LMU Faculty of Physics, Scheinerstr. 1, 81679 Munich, Germany
⁵⁶ FRACTAL S.L.N.E., calle Tulipán 2, Portal 13 1A, 28231 Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
⁵⁷ INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Via dell’Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
⁵⁸ Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1029 Blindern 0315 Oslo, Norway
⁵⁹ Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
⁶⁰ Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK
⁶¹ Felix Hormuth Engineering, Goethestr. 17, 69181 Leimen, Germany
⁶² Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
⁶³ Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), Denmark
⁶⁴ Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
⁶⁵ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
⁶⁶ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
⁶⁷ Department of Physics, P.O. Box 64, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
⁶⁸ Helsinki Institute of Physics, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
⁶⁹ Laboratoire d’etude de l’Univers et des phenomenes eXtremes, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 92190 Meudon, France
⁷⁰ SKAO, Jodrell Bank, Lower Withington, Macclesfield SK11 9FT, UK
⁷¹ Centre de Calcul de l’IN2P3/CNRS, 21 avenue Pierre de Coubertin, 69627 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
⁷² Dipartimento di Fisica “Aldo Pontremoli”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁷³ INFN-Sezione di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁷⁴ Universität Bonn, Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany
⁷⁵ INFN-Sezione di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 2 – c/o Dipartimento di Fisica, Edificio G. Marconi, 00185 Roma, Italy
⁷⁶ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi” – Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, via Piero Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
⁷⁷ Department of Physics, Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
⁷⁸ Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS, and Sorbonne Université, 98 bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris, France
⁷⁹ Institute of Physics, Laboratory of Astrophysics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Observatoire de Sauverny, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
⁸⁰ Telespazio UK S.L. for European Space Agency (ESA), Camino bajo del Castillo, s/n, Urbanizacion Villafranca del Castillo, Villanueva de la Cañada, 28692 Madrid, Spain
⁸¹ Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
⁸² European Space Agency/ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
⁸³ DARK, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 155, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
⁸⁴ Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
⁸⁵ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
⁸⁶ Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Canada
⁸⁷ Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales – Centre spatial de Toulouse, 18 avenue Edouard Belin, 31401 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
⁸⁸ Institute of Space Science, Str. Atomistilor, nr. 409 Măgurele, Ilfov 077125, Romania
⁸⁹ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “G. Galilei”, Università di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
⁹⁰ INFN-Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
⁹¹ Institut für Theoretische Physik, University of Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
⁹² Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, CNES, 14 Av. Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
⁹³ Université St Joseph; Faculty of Sciences, Beirut, Lebanon
⁹⁴ Departamento de Física, FCFM, Universidad de Chile, Blanco Encalada 2008 Santiago, Chile
⁹⁵ Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), Edifici RDIT, Campus UPC, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
⁹⁶ Satlantis, University Science Park, Sede Bld 48940, Leioa-Bilbao, Spain
⁹⁷ Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, s/n, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
⁹⁸ Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
⁹⁹ Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C8, Campo Grande, PT1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
¹⁰⁰ Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-018 Lisboa, Portugal
¹⁰¹ Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT, UK
¹⁰² Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
¹⁰³ Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
¹⁰⁴ Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Departamento de Electrónica y Tecnología de Computadoras, Plaza del Hospital 1, 30202 Cartagena, Spain
¹⁰⁵ Caltech/IPAC, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
¹⁰⁶ Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Mönchhofstr. 12-14, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
¹⁰⁷ Instituto de Física Teórica UAM-CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
¹⁰⁸ Aurora Technology for European Space Agency (ESA), Camino bajo del Castillo, s/n, Urbanizacion Villafranca del Castillo, Villanueva de la Cañada, 28692 Madrid, Spain
¹⁰⁹ Zentrum für Astronomie, Universität Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
¹¹⁰ ICL, Junia, Université Catholique de Lille, LITL, 59000 Lille, France

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Received: 10 November 2025
Accepted: 26 January 2026

Abstract

The Euclid Early Release Observations (ERO) programme targeted the Perseus galaxy cluster in its central region over 0.7 deg². We combined the exceptional image quality and depth of the ERO-Perseus with FUV and NUV observations from GALEX and AstroSat/UVIT, as well as ugrizHα data from MegaCam at the CFHT, to deliver FUV-to-NIR magnitudes of the 87 brightest galaxies within the Perseus cluster. We reconstructed the star formation history (SFH) of 59 early-type galaxies (ETGs) within the sample, through the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting code CIGALE and state-of-the-art stellar population (SP) models to reproduce the galactic UV emission from hot, old, low-mass stars (i.e. the UV upturn). In addition, for the six most massive ETGs in Perseus [stellar masses log₁₀(M_*/M_⊙)≥10.3], we analysed their spatially resolved SP and SFH through a radial SED fitting. In agreement with our previous work on Virgo ETGs, we found that (i) the majority of the analysed galaxies needs the presence of a UV upturn component to explain their FUV emission, with average temperatures ⟨T_UV⟩≃33 800 K; (ii) the ETGs of Perseus have grown their stellar masses quickly, with star formation timescales of τ ≲ 1500 Myr. We found that all ETGs in the sample have formed more than about 30% of their stellar masses at z ≃ 5, up to extreme fractions of ≃100%. At z ≃ 5, the stellar masses of the most massive nearby ETGs, which have present-day stellar masses of log₁₀(M_*/M_⊙)≳10.8, are then found to be comparable to those of the red quiescent galaxies observed by JWST at similar redshifts (z > 4.6). This study can be extended to ETGs in the 14 000 deg² extragalactic sky that will soon be observed by Euclid, in combination with those from other major upcoming surveys (e.g. Rubin/LSST), and UV observations, to ultimately assess whether the massive ETGs that we observe today represent the progeny of the massive high-z JWST red quiescent galaxies.