HE1327-2326
Encyclopedia
HE1327-2326, discovered in 2005 by Anna Frebel and collaborators, is the star with the lowest known iron abundance to date. The star is a member of Population II, with an iron to hydrogen ratio ([Fe/H]), or metallicity
, of -5.6. This number indicates that its iron
content is 300,000 times less than that of the Earth's sun. However, it has a carbon abundance of roughly one-tenth solar, [C/H] = -1.0, and it is not known how these two abundances can be produced simultaneously. Discovered by the Hamburg/ESO survey for metal-poor stars, it was probably formed during an age of the universe
when the metal content was much lower. It's been speculated that this star is part of the second generation, born out of the gas clouds which were polluted by the primordial Population III stars.
Metallicity
In astronomy and physical cosmology, the metallicity of an object is the proportion of its matter made up of chemical elements other than hydrogen and helium...
, of -5.6. This number indicates that its iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
content is 300,000 times less than that of the Earth's sun. However, it has a carbon abundance of roughly one-tenth solar, [C/H] = -1.0, and it is not known how these two abundances can be produced simultaneously. Discovered by the Hamburg/ESO survey for metal-poor stars, it was probably formed during an age of the universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
when the metal content was much lower. It's been speculated that this star is part of the second generation, born out of the gas clouds which were polluted by the primordial Population III stars.
External links
- SIMBAD-Entry (SIMBADSIMBADSIMBAD is an astronomical database of objects beyond the Solar System...
) - Hamburg/ESO survey (Christlieb+, 2008)
- http://www.space.com/astronotes/astronotes.html
- http://jumk.de/astronomie/special-stars/he1327-2326.shtml