The abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium in a star's composition, typically expressed as a fraction of the Sun's metal content. Higher metallicity indicates the star formed from gas enriched by previous generations of stars that created and dispersed heavy elements.
From Latin 'stella' meaning star, combined with 'metallicity' from Greek 'metallon' meaning mine or quarry. In astronomy, the term 'metal' refers to all elements heavier than helium, expanding beyond the traditional chemical definition.
Stellar metallicity is like a cosmic birth certificate that reveals when and where a star was born! Stars with high metallicity formed recently from recycled stellar material, while metal-poor stars are ancient relics from the early universe when heavy elements were scarce—making them time machines to cosmic dawn.
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