(ORDO NEWS) — At a distance of 16,000 light-years from planet Earth, astronomers have discovered a star that belongs to the second generation of stars in the Universe.
The space object was named SPLUS J21048.01-004934.2. Discovered the red giant using narrow-band photometry.
This is reported by Science Alert.
SPLUS J21048.01-004934.2 refers to metal-free stars. The absence of heavy elements in the composition of the star proves that it appeared very many years ago in the process of the birth and death of one generation of stars.
More modern space bodies contain metals. Today, the classification of star formation consists of several types of populations:
- population I;
- population II;
- hypothetical population III.
The latter is the most interesting for scientists today.
Thanks to the special equipment that astronomers have used this time around, it is possible to try to find the first generation of stars.
The researchers also carried out a study of light intensity using photometry. This method additionally helps to identify the oldest cosmic bodies. The study will help to better understand what happened in the Universe before and after the Big Bang.
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