Your Web News in One Place

Help Webnuz

Referal links:

Sign up for GreenGeeks web hosting
September 2, 2011 06:05 am

Astronomers Find Unusual Star

First time accepted submitter JoshuaZ writes "Astronomers have found an unusual small star. SDSS J102915+172927 is a small faint star with very little of any elements other than hydrogen or helium. The star's composition is surprising (Pdf) since standard theories of star formation require heavier elements in small stars in order to allow the stars to be heavy enough to come together. Possibly the most unusual aspect of this star is the complete non-detection of lithium which would be expected in a star of this size. The only elements created shortly after the Big Bang were lithium, hydrogen and helium, and the star should have lithium levels much higher since they should correspond closely with the levels believed to have been formed shortly after the Big Bang."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Original Link: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/wbstkdV9oUs/Astronomers-Find-Unusual-Star

Share this article:    Share on Facebook
View Full Article

Slashdot

Slashdot was originally created in September of 1997 by Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda. Today it is owned by Geeknet, Inc..

More About this Source Visit Slashdot