A new discovery could tell us when the fi rst stars appeared in the universe
THE UNIVERSE BEGAN nearly 14 billion years ago as a vast and dark mix of protons and electrons. Hydrogen formed gradually, along with helium and some lithium. That was the extent of variety in the universe until the first stars emerged. It would take those nuclear fusion machines to create oxygen and all the other, heavier elements that make up life. So pinpointing cosmic dawn— the time when the first stars formed—has long been a quest for astrophysicists. Now, they are one step closer.
Stars explode when they die, at which point the oxygen forged inside them merges with the gas in the rest of its home galaxy. But light is an escape artist; it always leaves its source. That means astronomers can spot the glow of oxygen even from very far away.
This story is from the June 08,2018 edition of Newsweek.
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This story is from the June 08,2018 edition of Newsweek.
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