A star older than the universe?

[treize]

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The oldest known star appears to be older than the universe itself, but a new study is helping to clear up this seeming paradox.
Previous research had estimated that the Milky Way galaxy's so-called "Methuselah star" is up to 16 billion years old. That's a problem, since most researchers agree that the Big Bang that created the universe occurred about 13.8 billion years ago.
Now a team of astronomers has derived a new, less nonsensical age for the Methuselah star, incorporating information about its distance, brightness, composition and structure.


Put all of those ingredients together, and you get an age of 14.5 billion years, with a residual uncertainty that makes the star's age compatible with the age of the universe," study lead author Howard Bond, of Pennsylvania State University and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, said in a statement.
The uncertainty Bond refers to is plus or minus 800 million years, which means the star could actually be 13.7 billion years old — younger than the universe as it's currently understood, though just barely.


Distance makes the difference


Hubble's measurements allowed the astronomers to refine the distance to HD 140283 using the principle of parallax, in which a change in an observers' position — in this case, Hubble's varying position in Earth orbit — translates into a shift in the apparent position of an object.
They found that Methuselah lies 190.1 light-years away. With the star's distance known more precisely, the team was able to work out Methuselah's intrinsic brightness, a necessity for determining its age.
The scientists also applied current theory to learn more about the Methuselah star's burn rate, composition and internal structure, which also shed light on its likely age. For example, HD 140283 has a relatively high oxygen-to-iron ratio, which brings the star's age down from some of the earlier predictions, researchers said.
In the end, the astronomers estimated that HD 140283 was born 14.5 billion years ago, plus or minus 800 million years. Further observations could help bring the Methuselah star's age down even further, making it unequivocally younger than the universe, researchers said.

Source: Strange 'Methuselah' Star Looks Older Than the Universe | Hubble Telescope | Space.com

If this is proven true, then science needs to find a new theory on how the universe was created.

[ronnelanthony]

Well, long time ago people say the earth was flat.. but again they were mistaken.. now the say the universe age is this & that.. still.. they dont have a clue.. just another blind person guiding a blind man.. Just theories to quench mans thirst for his finite knowledge..

[gotnowheels]

if the stars age is older than the universe, then big bang must occur earlier than 13 Billion... we need to learn more about this star or possibly the first star ever formed after the the big bang...

[jidosha]

[durfritz]

Paaboton lang jd nato nga mahuman tong Large Hadron Collider para mahibal.an jd kung asa jd ta nag start =D

[edoy]

kung older pani siya sa atong universe, sa ato pa xa ang mama sa atong universe ? or naa pay lain nga universe nga ni exist kauban aning lola methusela ? since kay theory pa man ni,,,so diha lang sa kutob kay, wala paman jud matukgad sa mga dalubhasa ug sa mga sayantipiko ug unsa ang jud ang gigikanan nga gitawag ug universe..basin sa sunod henerasyon aduna napoy ma diskubrehan nga libu-an,minilyon o di ba kaha binilyon nga "universe" nga nitumaw sa halapad nga kawanangan.

[leonell]

We're still speculating. As of now, I think it can't be possible until I am proven wrong.

[johnmar]

even the large hadron collider is not enough for human to discover the next possibilities.... we are part of the process as we are intelligent and curious , i believe anything is endless.... with regards to our evolution as we know it.... an it's exciting about the next breakthrough.... in the name of "SCIENCE"....slowly the answer reveals!!!!

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anything is possible..... anything nga ma imagine nato isip usa ka tao.... we're all composed of universe.... exciting

[POPiO]

Paaboton lang jd nato nga mahuman tong Large Hadron Collider para mahibal.an jd kung asa jd ta nag start =D

+1 ko ani.. hehehehe

[ramirezuy]

pusta lang ug rapper sa cafe