Astronomers Locate Oldest Known Star in Milky Way

Beginning of article

ASTRONOMERS MAY have detected the oldest star in the Milky Way galaxy, which could date back to the beginning of the Universe more than 12 billion years ago.

The star lies towards the southern constellation of Phoenix, about 36,000 light years from Earth. It is among the 10,000 or so brightest stars in the sky. An analysis of its chemical composition suggests that the star, known only by its catalogue name, HE0107- 5240, is almost devoid of metals. This indicates that it is a relic from the very early history of the galaxy, when it was formed after the Big Bang.

After decades of searching for such a candidate, a team led by Norbert Christlieb at the University …