The First Elements: What Helium Reveals About the Early Universe

How can scientists test what happened moments after the Big Bang? By studying distant, metal-poor galaxies, researchers measured primordial helium at approximately 24.58% of the early universe’s mass, closely matching predictions from cosmic microwave background observations.

Comparisons with modern measurements also suggest that stars have produced around 10% of today’s cosmic helium, offering new insights into how the universe evolved from its earliest moments.

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