A star that should not exist

At the centre of this picture is a very unremarkable looking faint star, too faint to be seen through all but the largest amateur telescopes. This ancient star, in the constellation of Leo (The Lion), is called SDSS J102915+172927 and has been found to have the lowest amount of elements heavier than helium of all stars yet studied. It has a mass smaller than that of the Sun and is probably more than 13 billion years old.

Credit:

ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2

About the Image

Id:eso1132a
Type:Observation
Release date:31 August 2011, 19:00
Related releases:eso1132
Size:929 x 929 px

About the Object

Name:SDSS J102915+172927
Type:Milky Way : Star
Constellation:Leo
Category:Stars

Image Formats

Large JPEG
132.9 KB
Screensize JPEG
116.7 KB

Coordinates

Position (RA):10 29 14.07
Position (Dec):17° 29' 12.80"
Field of view:15.59 x 15.59 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 1.6° right of vertical

Colours & filters

BandTelescope
Optical
B
Digitized Sky Survey 2
Optical
Pseudogreen (B+R)
Digitized Sky Survey 2
Optical
R
Digitized Sky Survey 2