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Stellar archaeology

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Artist's conception of the Milky Way

Stellar archaeology is the study of the early history of the universe, based on its early composition.[1] This is done by observing the chemical abundances in the earliest stars in the universe, metal-poor, Population III stars, in order to unravel such processes as early star formation, nucleosynthesis in stars and supernovae, and the formation processes of the galactic halo.[2][3] The field has already discovered that the Milky Way cannibalizes surrounding dwarf galaxies, giving it a youthful appearance.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Stellar Archaeology Traces Milky Way's History". HubbleSite. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  2. ^ Frebel, A. (2010), "Stellar archaeology: Exploring the Universe with metal-poor stars (Ludwig Biermann Award Lecture 2009)", Astronomische Nachrichten, 331 (5): 474–488, Bibcode:2010AN....331..474F, doi:10.1002/asna.201011362 {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. ^ Nerlich, Steve (26 June 2010). "Astronomy Without A Telescope – Stellar Archaeology". Universe Today. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  4. ^ Brainard, Curtis (10 February 2014). "The Archaeology of the Stars". New York Times. Retrieved 11 February 2014.