(ORDO NEWS) — According to the conclusions of scientists, our universe is 13.8 billion years old. Some experts wonder when the first stars appeared. According to an article in the scientific journal Nature, this happened 180 million years ago, but you can’t say for sure. As part of new research, astronomers tried to find the oldest star.
After the Big Bang, the Universe was warm enough, so the formation of neutral hydrogen, the main material of stars, was impossible. Only after millions of years, namely 400-500, the first body was lit. Neutral hydrogen began to form huge clouds, from which stars arose.
About the age of stars can tell the level of iron in them. In the early stages of the existence of the Universe, this element was almost absent, so the stars were formed from hydrogen and helium. Only in newer stars can a sufficient amount of silicon and iron be detected, due to which nuclear fusion occurs. During the explosion, the stars “share” their elements with other objects that are nearby.
According to scientists, they most likely discovered the oldest star, which contains an incredibly small amount of iron and is now dying. Perhaps the birth of a star occurred at the very early stages of the development of the universe. The discovered object is preparing for rebirth. After an outbreak, it can become either a high-density neutron star or a black hole.
The star was called SMSS J160540. 18-144323.1. Scientists will continue to follow her to find out the details of her existence. Today, the object is a red giant in the Milky Way galaxy. Scientists hope to study the history of the star until the Big Bang.
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