Searching for the Oldest Stars: Ancient Relics from the Early Universe

Astronomers study the oldest observable stars in the universe in much the same way that archaeologists study ancient artifacts on Earth. Here, Anna Frebel--who is credited with discovering several of the oldest and most primitive stars using the world's largest telescopes--takes readers into the far-flung depths of space and time to provide a gripping firsthand account of the cutting-edge science of stellar archaeology. Weaving the latest findings in astronomy with her own compelling insights as one of the world's leading researchers in the field, Frebel explains how sections of the night sky are "excavated" in the hunt for these extremely rare relic stars--some of which have been shining for more than 13 billion years--and how this astonishing quest is revealing tantalizing new details about the earliest times in the universe.