Trending Now - Astronomers Capture Image of One of the Universe's Oldest Stars

WHO:

Astronomers involved in the discovery of the star PicII-503.

Anirudh Chiti and Alex Drlica-Wagner are acknowledged as principal investigators.

WHAT:

Astronomers captured an image of the star PicII-503, classified as a Population II star.

PicII-503 is among the oldest stars in the universe, with a composition of approximately 1-40,000th of the iron contained within the sun.

The carbon-to-iron ratio in PicII-503 is more than 1,500 times that of the sun.

WHERE:

The star PicII-503 is located inside the dwarf galaxy Pictor II.

Pictor II is situated 150,000 light-years from Earth in the Pictor constellation.

The image was taken by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted atop the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope in Chile.

WHEN:

The image of PicII-503 was shared on March 16th, 2026.

Pictor II is more than 10 billion years old.

WHY:

The carbon-rich makeup of PicII-503 supports theories regarding the distribution of carbon in the universe, particularly in relation to supernova explosions.

HOW:

Astronomers used the star’s composition to test theories about the origins and distribution of elements in the universe, acting as "stellar archeologists."

(UPDATED March 23, 2026 01:32 UTC)

Astronomers have successfully captured an image of the star PicII-503, classified as a Population II star and located in the dwarf galaxy Pictor II, which is about 150,000 light-years from Earth. This ancient star, shared with the public on March 16, has a remarkable composition, containing only 1-40,000th of the iron found in the sun and a carbon-to-iron ratio more than 1,500 times that of our star. Principal investigators Anirudh Chiti and Alex Drlica-Wagner utilized the Dark Energy Camera atop the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope in Chile to explore the carbon-rich makeup of PicII-503, which supports theories about the distribution of elements in the universe following supernova explosions.