Pristine stars:
It is a common theory that after the Big Bang, the universe was composed of hot, soupy particles that eventually expanded and cooled. During this time, patches of neutral hydrogen gas formed. Some of these patches grew heavy and dense, eventually causing the material to collapse in on itself over hundreds of millions of years due to the gases’ gravity. These dense patches would go on to form the first stars, composed of pristine hydrogen and helium, according to the study. [“Most Pristine Star May Have Been Spotted 80,000 Light-Years From Earth,” Monica Cull, Discover Magazine (paywall)]
Hadn’t ever heard of pristine star before. Why not earliest or oldest? Probably because age is inferred, but chemical makeup can be measured directly.
