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Details aside, the story is simple. The universe began with the Big Bang. From this event came two elements: hydrogen and helium. The first stars ever � the so-called Population III stars � formed from these primordial gases and shone brightly in the early universe. Those stars eventually died, some as supernovae, and in the process released elements heavier than helium. These new elements, known in astronomical circles as “metals,” were incorporated into the second generation of stars, which in turn lived, exploded, and produced more metals. Some 9 billion years after the Big Bang our Sun formed, and along with its hydrogen and helium, inside it are several generations of supernova-produced metals.
A long-sought astronomical Holy Grail is the discovery of any still-living Population III stars. Their interiors would contain the most pristine Big Bang material known. While that discovery remains elusive, astronomers have uncovered the next best thing: the most metal-poor star known � a telltale second-generation star.
