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by Dr. Ken Croswell
Hubble spots a star that likely predates its oldest star clusters.
Link at Scientific American.
Hubble spots a star that likely predates its oldest star clusters.
Link at Scientific American.
The stars that cast the Milky Way's first light are known as Population III stars. These are the first generation of stars that formed after the Big Bang, and they are believed to be much larger and hotter than the stars we see today.
Scientists determined the existence of Population III stars through observations of the oldest stars in the universe. These stars have extremely low amounts of heavy elements, suggesting that they formed from the pristine gas of the early universe.
No, Population III stars are no longer visible in the Milky Way. They were formed more than 13 billion years ago and have since died, leaving behind their remnants such as black holes and neutron stars.
Studying Population III stars can provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies, as well as the early universe. It can also help us better understand the conditions that allowed for the development of life on Earth.
Yes, there are ongoing studies and missions dedicated to studying Population III stars. These include the James Webb Space Telescope, which is set to launch in 2021, and the Cosmic Dawn Intensity Mapper, a proposed mission to study the earliest stars in the universe.