Hubble may have spotted the most distant star to date
Earendel , a star currently reckoned to be 12.9 billion light-years away — the light we see from it comes from when the universe was roughly 900 million years old. Until now, the smallest objects seen at that distance were star clusters.
If confirmed, the star will easily smash the previous record. The most distant star before now was MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1, which shone when the universe was about 4 billion years old. Scientists found that star using Hubble in 2018.NASA/ESA/Brian Welch /Dan Coe /Alyssa Pagan , or relying on the gravity of galaxy clusters to distort light and magnify objects that would otherwise remain difficult or impossible to detect.
Earendel is a large beast, too. The scientists estimate it's"at least" 50 times the mass of the Sun, and millions of times brighter. It's also expected to have relatively little metal, as it would have formed when it didn't have access to heavier elements that came with successive star generations. If it's made of only hydrogen and helium, it would be the first evidence of very early"Population III" stars.
The object hasn't been confirmed as a star yet, but that might come relatively soon. Observers plan to use thehigh infrared sensitivity to both verify Earendel's star status and study it in more detail. With that said, Webb might also help pinpoint stars that are even more distant. To put it another way, he technology needed to acknowledge the star's existence might relegate it to a footnote.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Most distant star ever seen found in Hubble Space Telescope imageSpotted in a galaxy that existed just 900 million years after the big bang, the primordial star Earendel could offer a rare window into the early universe if confirmed by follow-up studies.
Read more »
Hubble Space Telescope spots most distant single star ever seenMassive news! NASAHubble spots the most distant star yet seen, called Earendel 🌟
Read more »
Hubble Space Telescope Spots Most Distant Star Ever SeenCalled Earendel, the star is nearly 13 billion light-years from Earth
Read more »
Hubble spots most distant star ever seen, 28 billion light-years awayMindy Weisberger is a Live Science senior writer covering a general beat that includes climate change, paleontology, weird animal behavior, and space. Mindy holds an M.F.A. in Film from Columbia University; prior to Live Science she produced, wrote and directed media for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Her videos about dinosaurs, astrophysics, biodiversity and evolution appear in museums and science centers worldwide, earning awards such as the CINE Golden Eagle and the Communicator Award of Excellence. Her writing has also appeared in Scientific American, The Washington Post and How It Works Magazine.
Read more »
Hubble sees most distant star ever, 28 billion light-years awayThe Hubble Space Telescope has glimpsed the most distant single star it's ever observed, glimmering 28 billion light-years away. The star, nicknamed Eardenel, could be between 50 to 500 times more massive than our sun, and millions of times brighter.
Read more »