Astronomers discover a way to see the first stars in the fog of the early universe.

Astronomers have created a method to see through the fog of early universe and detect light coming from the first stars or galaxies.

Researchers hope that it will shed light on the mysteries surrounding how the universe evolved following the big bang.

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) – a telescope due to be completed by the end of the decade – will likely be able to make images of the earliest light in the universe.

Current telescopes are limited by thick hydrogen clouds.

We are thrilled to see how the system works and we have complete faith that we will be able to make that critical detection.

University of Stellenbosch. Professor Dirk de Villiers

The signal that astronomers aim to detect is expected to be approximately 100,000 times weaker than other radio signals coming also from the sky – for example, radio signals originating in our own galaxy.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge now have a method to see through clouds and other sky noise signals. This avoids the negative effects of radio telescope distortions.

The Reach (Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen), which is part of their new method, will enable astronomers observe the earliest stars by their interaction with the hydrogen cloud.

Experts would use the same method to infer a landscape from the shadows in fog.

The paper’s lead author, Dr Eloy de Lera Acedo, from Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory, said: “At the time when the first stars formed, the universe was mostly empty and composed mostly of hydrogen and helium.”

He said: “Because of gravity, the elements eventually came together and the conditions were right for nuclear fusion, which is what formed the first stars.

“But they were surrounded by clouds of so-called neutral hydrogen, which absorb light really well, so it’s hard to detect or observe the light behind the clouds directly.”

This new method analyzes data from multiple antennas, across a wider frequency spectrum than other equivalent current instruments.

The telescope’s construction is being finalised at the Karoo radio reserve in South Africa, a location chosen for its excellent conditions for radio observations of the sky.

It is not possible to create interference in radio frequencies by humans, such as FM and television signals.

Dr. Dirk de Villiers is the co-lead of this project at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. “Although the antenna technology used for this instrument is rather simple, the harsh and remote deployment environment, and the strict tolerances required in the manufacturing, make this a very challenging project to work on.”

He said: “We are extremely excited to see how well the system will perform, and have full confidence we’ll make that elusive detection.”

These findings were published in Nature Astronomy journal.

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