Astronomers have been successful in finding some of the most distant galaxies in the universe, but they may have found the most distant star to date. The researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope spotted Earendel, a star that is thought to be 12 billion light-years away. The smallest objects seen at that distance were star clusters.
The star will easily beat the previous record if confirmed. When the universe was about 4 billion years old, it was the most distant star. The Hubble was used to find that star.
The feat was accomplished by using the gravity of galaxy clusters to distort light and make objects appear larger than they are. The star's host galaxy had its light warped into a long arcs thanks to the massive WHL0137-08 galaxy cluster. As Earendel sits on the edge of a space or a ripple in the fabric of space, its brightness was magnified a thousand times and helped it stand out.
Earendel is a large animal. The scientists think it is 50 times the mass of the Sun and millions of times brighter. It is expected to have relatively little metal as it would have formed when it did not have access to heavier elements. It would be the first evidence of Population III stars if it was made of only hydrogen and helium.
The object has not been confirmed as a star yet, but that could change soon. Earendel's star status will be verified by using the James Webb Space Telescope, as well as being studied in more detail. With that in mind, we might be able to find stars that are even farther away. He technology needed to acknowledge that the star might be a footnote.
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