For decades, astronomers believed that the first stars in the universe were exceptionally massive, hundreds of times more massive than the sun, and had short lives.
Two studies published in the first half of 2025 suggest that low-mass stars could have formed in the early universe.
One study, using a computer model, suggests that turbulent motions in gas clouds could have torn them apart and formed smaller stars. The other, using a laboratory experiment, shows that molecular hydrogen and helium hydride were abundant in the early universe and helped the clouds cool, allowing small stars to form.
These results are essential because if low-mass stars did indeed form after the Big Bang, some of them may still be around today and available for observation. Astronomers are confident that if these “tiny” ancient stars exist, they should be found.
