Subaru telescope detects first-generation stars
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028962
Science : Astronomers believe they may have spotted some of the earliest stars to have formed after the Big Bang. Using the 8.2-m Subaru Telescope on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, David Sobral of the University of Lisbon and his colleagues have detected several galaxies emitting strong UV light from ionized hydrogen and helium. The absence of heavier elements, such as metals, indicates they may belong to the very first generation of stars. Those so-called population III stars are thought to have grown to be extremely massive and hot before their cores sparked fusion and exploded, creating carbon, oxygen, iron, and the other elements needed to form the next generation of stars, planets, and even life. Through their study, astronomers hope to learn more about the early universe and possibly even black hole formation.