Stars' 'DNA' could help scientists find Sun's lost siblings
Sydney, April 18: With the aim to find the lost siblings of the Sun, now scattered across the sky, a team of astronomers has collected the "DNA" of more than 340,000 stars in the Milky Way.
The "DNA" can help trace the ancestry of stars, showing astronomers how the universe went from having only hydrogen and helium -- just after the Big Bang -- to being filled today with all the elements we have here on Earth that are necessary for life.
The research, detailed in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, is based on the Galactic Archaeology survey, called GALAH, launched in late 2013 as part of a quest to uncover the formulation and evolution of galaxies.
When complete, GALAH will investigate more than a million stars.
The GALAH survey used the HERMES spectrograph at the Australian Astronomical Observatory's (AAO) 3.9-metre Anglo-Australian Telescope near Coonabarabran in New South Wales to collect spectra for the 340,000 stars.
"No other survey has been able to measure as many elements for as many stars as GALAH," said Gayandhi De Silva of the University of Sydney and AAO.
"This data will enable such discoveries as the original star clusters of the Galaxy, including the Sun's birth cluster and solar siblings -- there is no other dataset like this ever collected anywhere else in the world," De Silva said.
The Sun, like all stars, was born in a group or cluster of thousands of stars, explained Sarah Martell from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney who leads the GALAH survey observations.
"Every star in that cluster will have the same chemical composition, or DNA - these clusters are quickly pulled apart by our Milky Way Galaxy and are now scattered across the sky," Martell said.
"The GALAH team's aim is to make DNA matches between stars to find their long-lost sisters and brothers," she added.
For each star, this DNA is the amount they contain of each of nearly two dozen chemical elements such as oxygen, aluminium and iron.
Unfortunately, astronomers cannot collect the DNA of a star with a mouth swab but instead use the starlight, with a technique called spectroscopy.
The light from the star is collected by the telescope and then passed through an instrument called a spectrograph, which splits the light into detailed rainbows, or spectra.
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"Once a Waqf, Always a Waqf? Not Anymore," says BJP as Waqf Amendment Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
New Delhi: The controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which has been widely criticised by Muslim organisations and opposition parties, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took to X (formerly Twitter) to express its support for the Bill, stating that it "brings in accountability, puts people's rights first, and ends unchecked monopolies."
"Once a Waqf, always a Waqf? Not anymore," the BJP wrote on X, emphasising four key reasons why the Waqf Amendment Bill is necessary.
The saffron party argued that under the new Bill, Waqf Boards would no longer have the power to self-declare land as Waqf property. It further pointed out that Waqf boards would no longer be required to disclose land records or financial transactions.
Another significant amendment, according to the BJP, is that disputes over Waqf properties will now be heard in civil courts, ending the Waqf’s exclusive control over land-related cases. The Bill also aims to amend special protections that had previously prevented courts from hearing Waqf disputes.
Additionally, the party highlighted that the Bill ensures women’s representation in Waqf administration. The BJP noted that these amendments are critical for promoting social justice and equality.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha. The government claims that the amendments will streamline the functioning of Waqf Boards and improve the management of Waqf properties.
"The government is not going to interfere in any religious institution. The changes made in the Waqf law by the UPA government gave it overriding effect over other statutes, hence the new amendments were required," he said amid noisy opposition protest.
Once a Waqf, always a Waqf...?
— BJP (@BJP4India) April 2, 2025
Not anymore❌
The Waqf Amendment Bill brings in accountability, puts people’s rights first, and ends unchecked monopolies.
✅ Full digitalization of Waqf properties 💻
✅ Ensuring women’s representation in Waqf administration
✅… pic.twitter.com/yXVX51qJ15
