Science For Sleep | Methuselah — The Oldest Star in the Universe

Now on Spotify 🎧 Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/033FAXP... Some stars are so ancient that they seem to remember the beginning of the cosmos. In this episode, Methuselah — the oldest star in the universe becomes a calm journey to one of the oldest known stars ever discovered. Known as HD 140283, Methuselah formed shortly after the universe itself began, making it a remarkable survivor from the earliest generations of stars. For a time, its estimated age even appeared to exceed the age of the universe, creating one of astronomy's most intriguing puzzles. Improved measurements eventually resolved the apparent contradiction, but the star remains an extraordinary relic of the young cosmos. Its faint light has endured for nearly the entire history of the universe. Let this gentle exploration of Methuselah, the oldest star in the universe settle softly into your thoughts. Breathe slowly. Imagine an ancient star quietly shining long before our Sun was born. And rest in the stillness of a universe where a single point of light can carry almost the entire story of cosmic time. Sources: NASA Hubble Finds Birth Certificate of Oldest Known Star — https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hub... ESA/Hubble Oldest Star in Solar Neighbourhood — https://esahubble.org/images/opo1308a/ Bond et al., HD 140283: A Star in the Solar Neighborhood that Formed Shortly After the Big Bang — https://arxiv.org/abs/1302.3180 Siqueira-Mello et al., High-resolution abundance analysis of HD 140283 — https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/ful... Spite et al., 12C/13C Ratio and CNO Abundances in HD 140283 — https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/ful...