Posted: Sat, Nov 2, 2002, 9:42 AM ET (1442 GMT)
Astronomers have discovered a star whose composition indicates that it dates back to the early universe. In a paper published in the current issue of the journal Nature, astronomers said that star HE0107-5240, located in a halo of objects surrounding the Milky Way galaxy, has only 1/200,000th the metals found in our Sun, 20 times less than any other star found to date. The star is made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, suggesting that it formed out of the primordial material from the Big Bang. Astronomers estimate that the star is at least 12 billion years old.

Related Links:

•  SPACE.com article
•  AP article
•  Reuters article