Discovered that the 3 oldest stars in the universe are 'invading' the Milky Way

Astronomers discovered three ancient stars that once belonged to the universe's first galaxies 'hiding' at the edge of the Milky Way, according to a report in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The Milky Way is thought to have absorbed other galaxies as it grew. (Photo: AI).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers discovered three old stars located about 30,000 light years from Earth , in an area called the Milky Way's halo.

The basic chemical structure of the above group of stars shows that they are 12 to 13 billion years old , meaning they belonged to the first galaxies, formed after the Big Bang event that gave birth to the universe from 1 to 10 billion years ago. 2 billion years.

"The trio of stars is moving quite fast, reaching speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second (and in the opposite direction of the other stars) ," according to the MIT report, once again showing that these stars are not part of the Milky Way. galaxies but instead come from other galaxies.

Researchers believe that the number of ancient stars present in the Milky Way does not stop at 3 but is much more. They are considered "fossil" evidence revealing the past, in which the Milky Way grew by absorbing surrounding galaxies and plundering their stars.

Ancient stars can also be used to study the universe's first stars and galaxies.

"Groups of ancient stars are part of our cosmic family tree. And we now know where to find them to study ," according to research team member, Professor Anna Frebel.