Astronomers have identified a star cluster within the Milky Way that is heavily veiled by dust and may be nearly as old as the universe, Phys.org reported on Monday. The finding points to an extremely ancient grouping of stars inside our own galaxy. Phys.org describes the cluster as dust-shrouded, suggesting the material around it has helped keep it hidden from easy view.
According to Phys.org, the object's age could approach that of the cosmos itself. That would place its formation among the earliest stellar events yet linked to the Milky Way. The report does not specify the cluster's distance, mass or exact age.
The dust that conceals the cluster is central to the story. Such material can block or dim starlight, which makes old stellar populations harder to detect and study than unobscured ones. Phys.org's account frames the cluster as a dusty object, and that characteristic appears to be part of why it stands out in the reporting.
The comparison to the age of the universe is the claim that gives the finding its weight. If confirmed, a cluster of this vintage would offer a rare window into star formation in the very early cosmos, though Phys.org's summary does not detail the measurements behind the age estimate.
Watch for fuller results from the research team, including the methods used to date the cluster and any follow-up observations aimed at seeing through the dust.
