x
Breaking News
More () »

NASA scientists discover star 28 billion light-years away

"It's kind of this wonderful gift from the universe," said Michelle Thaller, a NASA astronomer.

HOUSTON — On Wednesday, NASA announced a record-breaking discovery from the Hubble Space Telescope: the farthest individual star ever observed.

Scientists say it's a staggering 28 billion light-years away.

"It's kind of this wonderful gift from the universe," said Michelle Thaller, a NASA astronomer.

The gift that keeps on giving is nicknamed "Earendel." 

"It looks to have at least 50x the mass of the sun, maybe even a hundred or more," said Padi Boyd, a NASA astrophysicist. 

A grainy image released by NASA of Earendel is somewhat of a time machine taking NASA scientists back nearly 13 billion years.

For the Hubble telescope to even see it glimmering, gravitational lensing had to occur. Scientists say that's when a tremendous mass warps the fabric of space creating a powerful natural magnifying glass.

"This star was coincidentally perfectly aligned so its light passed through this lens that was being made by a cluster of galaxies," said Thaller. "The cluster of galaxies is closer to us, but way behind that, the star is perfectly lined up to be focused by that lens. And that's the only reason Hubble could see it."

The Hubble telescope has captured countless stunning snapshots in space and while this may not look like much, it's going to tell scientists a whole lot.

"There's a ton of scientific value and information in that image and it's all been modeled, simulated, tested against theories," said Boyd.  

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Before You Leave, Check This Out