First Stars in the Universe
Reported June 2007
GREENBELT, M.D., (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- The first stars in our universe are long gone, but their light still shines, giving us a peek at what the universe looked like in its early years
Astrophysicists believe they've spotted a faint glow from stars born at the beginning of time. Harvey Moseley, Ph.D., an astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, says, "The reason they're faint is just because they're very, very far away, they're over at the far edge of the universe."
After the big bang, the universe stayed dark for about 200 million years. Now, new pictures reveal the first light from objects 13 billion light years away, the infants of our universe. "So, we're seeing what sometimes people call the first light in the universe, which formed after the big bang," Dr. Moseley explains.
Using pictures taken with the Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists first removed light from closer stars and galaxies. The light areas left in the background are believed to be the first objects in space. Alexander Kashlinsky, Ph.D., astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, says, "The early universe was a very hot place in this sense, like it was filled with objects that have been emitting light much more furiously than today."
Researchers say the objects are either stars, hundreds of times more massive than our own sun, or enormous black holes. Either way, the pictures bring us one step closer to learning how the universe was born. NASA's planned James Webb space telescope will be able to identify the nature of the newfound clusters and determine if they are stars or black holes.
The American Astronomical Society contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.
Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Visitor Center
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771
301-286-3978 or 301-286-3979
For more information on stars:
American Astronomical Society
Washington, DC 20009-1231
202-328-2010
http://www.aas.org
aas@aas.org
|
This Month's TV Reports
Preventing Summer Heat Deaths:Summer heat kills more people than tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and lightning combined. Now new technology may help save lives.
Preparing For Disaster:Almost everyone lives where a flood, tornado or other natural disaster can strike but are you prepared? Simple tips to make sure you're covered.
Can Co2 Be A Good Thing?Pollution may have a positive effect on some parts of our environment. It's helping trees and plants grow faster.
Tracking Global Carbon:A pollution alert -- carbon is increasing three times faster than it was 50 years ago. We'll show you how it affects the air we breathe.
Traffic Accident Hotspots:43,000 people are killed each year in the U.S. in traffic accidents. Now scientists are trying to figure out how to stop the accident from happening.
Light- Up Tents:A new breakthrough for your next camping trip -- a tent that lights up.
First Stars In The Universe:Catch a glimpse of the very first stars in the universe.
Trip To An Asteroid:What's a boulder in space look like? This month, a spacecraft will take us on a journey to an asteroid
Soothing Sensitive Teeth:A new toothpaste ingredient gives soothing relief to people with painful, sensitive teeth.
iPOD: HOW LOUD IS TOO LOUD?Turn down the volume! Your iPOD could be drowning your hearing. We'll find out what's safe and what's putting your hearing at risk.
Become A Smarter Shopper:Learn how to spot sneaky sales tricks and save money on everything you buy.
Mystery Diamonds:They are the oldest, toughest and rarest diamonds around -- and now scientists have a new theory of where they came from!
Prior Reports
|
