What Existed Before Stars?

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]The universe today is filled with planets, stars, and [music] galaxies.

[00:00:04]But what came before?

[00:00:06]After the Big Bang, the universe was almost empty, filled mostly with hydrogen and helium drifting through darkness.

[00:00:13]Then something extraordinary happened.

[00:00:16][music] These atoms combined to create the first molecule ever formed in the universe, helium hydride. A tiny molecule born before stars even existed.

[00:00:27]Scientists believe it played a crucial role in cooling the early universe, allowing matter to slowly [music] gather together and form the first stars and galaxies.

[00:00:36]Without it, the universe we know today may have never existed. And after decades of searching, NASA's SOFIA Observatory finally detected [music] this ancient molecule hidden inside a distant nebula.

[00:00:49]The first molecule in cosmic history finally found by humanity billions of years later.