The earliest known celestial object that formed within our Galaxy is a star called HD 140283, also known as the Methuselah star. It is a metal-poor star, meaning that it has a low abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. This suggests that it formed very early in the history of the Galaxy, when there were not as many heavy elements present.
HD 140283 is estimated to be 14.46 billion years old, which is just a few hundred million years younger than the Universe itself. It is still shining today, but it is nearing the end of its life and will eventually become a white dwarf.
The discovery of HD 140283 provides us with a glimpse into the early history of our Galaxy. It shows us that stars were forming very early on, and that even the oldest stars in the Galaxy are still around today.
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