Astronomers Close to Unveiling Earliest Stars
24 March 2025 · Uncategorized ·
Source: · https://technews.tw/2025/03/15/we-may-have-finally-laid-eyes-on-the-universes-very-first-stars/
In the early universe, vast spaces were filled with hydrogen and helium until the first stars emerged from dense molecular clouds. These primordial stars began producing heavier elements through core nuclear fusion reactions as they approached their end stages—a process not possible with only hydrogen or helium.
The Population III generation of stars – considered to be the very first – has yet to be directly observed, but a recent study suggests potential evidence for them in the early universe galaxy GLIMPSE-16403. While this remains tentative and is not definitive proof, it indicates we may soon witness these earliest stellar formations.
The cosmic dawn refers to approximately one billion years after the Big Bang, marking an era when hot quark-gluon plasma evolved into a period of first star and galaxy formation. These initial stars are crucial for understanding how heavier elements beyond hydrogen and helium came to exist in our universe; they can only form through late-stage nuclear fusion reactions within these early stellar bodies.
Astronomers speculate that Population III stars may have been exceptionally massive, far exceeding those observed today. Due to the inverse relationship between a star’s mass and lifespan, such large stars likely evolved into black holes or supernova remnants long ago, dispersing heavy elements throughout interstellar space before their demise—a process which significantly influenced subsequent stellar evolution.
The search for Population III stars within an expansive universe is akin to finding a needle in a haystack; therefore, the research team focused on specific regions exhibiting strong hydrogen and helium spectral features but lacking signatures of heavier elements. Their analysis identified two candidate galaxies, one less certain than GLIMPSE-16403 which meets all criteria.
GLIMPSE-16403 appeared approximately 825 million years after the Big Bang, making it a prime candidate for being composed primarily of Population III stars. However, confirming this will require more detailed spectral data from such distant targets—a challenging task that could lead to direct observation of these ancient celestial bodies.
One researcher commented: “A century ago when humans first observed beyond our galaxy’s edge with the discovery of Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies marking where we are in space, it's fascinating to wonder what early astronomers would think if they knew humanity was about to witness stars from the very beginning of cosmic formation.”
(Please note this article is authorized for re-posting by Taipei Astronomical Museum; Image source: Pixabay)
The Population III generation of stars – considered to be the very first – has yet to be directly observed, but a recent study suggests potential evidence for them in the early universe galaxy GLIMPSE-16403. While this remains tentative and is not definitive proof, it indicates we may soon witness these earliest stellar formations.
The cosmic dawn refers to approximately one billion years after the Big Bang, marking an era when hot quark-gluon plasma evolved into a period of first star and galaxy formation. These initial stars are crucial for understanding how heavier elements beyond hydrogen and helium came to exist in our universe; they can only form through late-stage nuclear fusion reactions within these early stellar bodies.
Astronomers speculate that Population III stars may have been exceptionally massive, far exceeding those observed today. Due to the inverse relationship between a star’s mass and lifespan, such large stars likely evolved into black holes or supernova remnants long ago, dispersing heavy elements throughout interstellar space before their demise—a process which significantly influenced subsequent stellar evolution.
The search for Population III stars within an expansive universe is akin to finding a needle in a haystack; therefore, the research team focused on specific regions exhibiting strong hydrogen and helium spectral features but lacking signatures of heavier elements. Their analysis identified two candidate galaxies, one less certain than GLIMPSE-16403 which meets all criteria.
GLIMPSE-16403 appeared approximately 825 million years after the Big Bang, making it a prime candidate for being composed primarily of Population III stars. However, confirming this will require more detailed spectral data from such distant targets—a challenging task that could lead to direct observation of these ancient celestial bodies.
One researcher commented: “A century ago when humans first observed beyond our galaxy’s edge with the discovery of Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies marking where we are in space, it's fascinating to wonder what early astronomers would think if they knew humanity was about to witness stars from the very beginning of cosmic formation.”
(Please note this article is authorized for re-posting by Taipei Astronomical Museum; Image source: Pixabay)