Astronomers discover 'galactic fossil' at the heart of the galaxy

Terzan 5 is as old as the galaxy, but there's a twist.

Astronomers have discovered the 'galactic fossil' of the Milky Way.  Known as Terzan 5, it is a 12.5 billion year-old globular cluster near the center of the galaxy. In addition to this knowledge, scientists made a remarkable second discovery.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - The globular cluster "Terzan 5," at the heart of our galaxy's core is being described as a galactic fossil. That's because the stars in the cluster are as old as the galaxy itself, about 13.4 billion years. By comparison, the universe was created 13.72 billion years ago. Our Sun is only 5 billion years old.

The old stars in Terzan 5 are probably among the first stars to form in the universe. They are certainly part of the original building blocks of the galaxy. This discovery would be akin to finding the original foundation of an ancient structure.

By studying the cluster, scientists can make educated guesses about the history of the cluster and its stars.

When they turned their telescopes to Terzan 5, scientists discovered a surprise. Some of the stars in the cluster are much newer, about 4.5 billion years old. What's happening?

Scientists have pieced together the history of the cluster life detectives at a crime scene. They have figured out a few things. First, the cluster was once fairly compact. That explains why it hasn't been ripped apart and absorbed into the jumbled mass of stars swirling around the supermassive black hole in the galaxy's center. The cluster was eventually bounced into the outer halo of stars in the central bulge of the Milky Way.

Next, some of the stars in the cluster went supernova and exploded into clouds of dust and gas. However, the dust and gas remained in the cluster and formed a second generation of stars. This explains the mix of old and new stars.

Scientists want to learn more about this galactic fossil because it probably had a major effect on the formation and development of the galaxy. Unraveling that mystery could result in a better understanding of how galaxies form.

Research into the cluster and others that appear to be similar continues.

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