Topic: Finding the Origin of Milky Way's Ancient Stars

[sam]

Many of the Milky Way’s ancient stars are remnants of other smaller galaxies torn apart by violent galactic collisions around five billion years ago, according to researchers at Durham University, who publish their results in a new paper in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

http://www.universetoday.com/2010/06/29/finding-the-origin-of-milky-ways-ancient-stars/

[Clive]

I think this is something astronomers have suspected for a long time.  I think some of the stars in our Galaxy's globular clusters are 12 billion years old but to find even older ones is a wonderful achievement.  Makes you realise how quickly star formation got underway after the Big Bang!

[sam]

indeed, hopefully we will get a good census of the star formation changes with all these new epic telescopes.

[Clive]

There seems to be a new giant telescope commissioned every week!  I'm not complaining!   

[sam]

I will be if I don't get another job after this one!

[Clive]

I think you might have to remain in exile forever.

[sam]

darn.