The history of our home galaxy begins around 13 billion years ago. This means that the Milky Way is only a little younger than the universe itself. The researchers have already been able to reconstruct some of the different epochs of galactic history. Their approach is similar to that of archaeologists, who gradually get to the bottom of a settlement’s past. A team of astronomers has now succeeded in identifying stars that bear witness to the earliest history of our Milky Way.
