The mystery of heavy, first generation stars in the Universe
The stars that as first formed in the Universe may have had enormous mass. Scientists have developed a scientific theory that indicates they may have weighed as much as a hundred thousand suns.
The Big Bang took place about 13.8 billion years ago. When did the first stars form? It is believed to have happened several hundred million years later.
Their appearance ended a period that is sometimes called the Dark Ages. It lasted from the moment the cosmic microwave background radiation appeared, that is, from about 380,000 years after the Big Bang. At that time, the universe was very dark: there were most likely no galaxies or stars, i.e. sources of light, in it yet.
Later, however, the so-called cosmic dawn began. From the only two elements available at the time — hydrogen and helium — the first stars and galaxies began to form. It is believed that at that time no planets had yet been formed. And certainly not ones like Earth, i.e. rocky planets, which are made of elements heavier than hydrogen.
The mass of stars affects their fate
Stars can burn out quickly. They can also — like red dwarfs — be remarkably long-lived. It all depends on their size and chemical composition. In general, stars exist the longer the balance…
