The first generation of stars that formed in the universe, composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium with virtually no heavier elements. These theoretical stars were massive, short-lived, and responsible for creating the first heavy elements through nuclear fusion and supernova explosions.
From Latin 'populatio' meaning a people or multitude, combined with Roman numeral III (three). The classification system was established by astronomer Walter Baade in the 1940s, who originally identified Population I and II stars, with Population III added later as the hypothetical first stellar generation.
Population III stars were cosmic alchemists that transformed the pristine universe from containing only the lightest elements into one rich with carbon, oxygen, and iron. None of these primordial giants exist today because they burned through their fuel in just a few million years, but the James Webb Space Telescope is actively hunting for their signatures in the most distant galaxies ever observed!
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