Scientists have discovered an "impossible" star which appears to be older than the universe.
The mysterious star Methuselah appears to be between 14 and 15 billion years old - a bit of an issue considering the universe itself is known to have come into existence 13.8 billion years ago.
Oddly enough, Methuselah is even located inside our own galaxy - about 190 light years away.
And even after using new information about the star's distance from us, its brightness and its structure, scientists are unable to place an estimate of its age much below 14.5 billion years - still older than the universe.
Fortunately for the team from Pennsylvania State University and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, there appears to be a margin of error of about 800 million years, or so - enough to just barely place the star below the age of everything else, if peace of mind is important to you.
Formally known as HD 140283, the star is the oldest object currently known to astronomers.
It was first discovered a century ago, moving more than 800,000 mph relative to our solar system.
The star is on a long and looping orbit around the galaxy, and is only briefly passing through Earth's neighbourhood on the western spiral arm.
In the study published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, astronomers said the star was born in a 'dwarf galaxy' which was swallowed by the Milky Way more than 12 billion years ago.
Using new measurements the team was able to refine its estimate of the star's position, and learn more about its structure.
The study suggests that further research might bring the age of the star down even further.
whos cares . i dont
ReplyDeleteIf something is impossible, it's not the observations (the star) but rather the current theories of stellar evolution/age of the universe. Could it be that the star is really not as old as astronomers presume, or that current estimates of the age of the universe are based on false premises? "Sum Ting Wong" with standard cosmology, methinks.
ReplyDeleteWell why did you click on the link and even make the effort to share your opinion with the world?
ReplyDeleteMan and his foolish attempts to explain the unknown. Big Bang? what Big Bang? There is no such thing. The infinite Universe has always been, and will continue to expand and contract beyond mans finite understanding of the cosmos.
ReplyDeleteCould be that our models of the universe, its age, and the big bang, are not accurate.
ReplyDelete(blasphemy! I know)
What if OUR universe was "born" inside an older, greatly expanded, universe, and picked up/expanded around just one star from the earlier universe. Hmmmmmmmm?
ReplyDeleteI'm betting all these pseudo-scientists have brown eyes.
ReplyDeleteSimply lower your mind to a nine year old level and it all becomes obvious.
ReplyDeleteThese scientific guessers with mucho $$$, titles and press are the same BSers who barely had a clue, much less real knowledge about, oh, let's say ... something pretty easy, something they should be able to whip off with one thruster tied behind their back. How about the rings around Saturn. Yeah, Saturn. It's right here in our own back yard. Spitting distance, as it were.
But when the spacecraft got there, they were, well, mesmerized as to the complexity and immensity, etc. Yeah, they were pretty damn clueless.
Fast forward to now... These bluffer$ are going to tell us how old the universe is and "they've almost reached the end," etc., etc.?!!? They barely had a clue about big old Saturn, right up there...
C'MON MAN!
.. and brown noses...
ReplyDeleteIsn't it obvious by his name? He kicked down the wrong door.
ReplyDeleteMilky Way theory circa 1200 A.D. from Angkor Wat craved abs relief titled "The Churning of the Milky Ocean" explained using logic.
ReplyDelete1. You churn milk to make butter.
2. Any liquid churned inside a container will spin in rotation.
3. You drop a float in sphere shape and it will rise or fall upon the levels of the rotating water appearing to "wobble" just as the heavens (stars and constellations) appear to seesaw over the course of one year. The faster you spin the water the lower the sphere goes and as it slows it rises again in the same exact pattern over and over again just like our constellations.
4. The roots of Milky Way theory start in mythology and without being able to observe firsthand the "Milky Way" from outside it we will never confirm the theory hence it is and always will be; hypothesis or mythology.
That is the root of all the physics anomalies we find. Science is bogus in outer space.
Well here's an idea, our universe is older than most people think.
ReplyDeleteSorry. I don't mean all.
ReplyDeleteMostly the common famous/rich/uberslippery types.
Likely a felony to spit on one nowadays..
Consciousness is eternal, transcending the illusionary Matrix of time/space. The manifest is a mere reflection.
ReplyDeleteIf these stupid scientists ever tried meditating or dropping some acid we wouldn't have to listen to their bullshit.
Namaste,
I Am
I have always thought that the universe was far far older than is thought. I think it is at least 10 times older. There is some evidence that it could be 100 trillion times older. Tellurium-128, has a half life of over 2.2 septillion years, which completely destroys any young universe arguments (2.2×10^24).
ReplyDeleteThe 'scientists' are speaking the language of Church.
ReplyDeleteHow do they measure the age of stars and then apply it to the age of the known universe? The fact there is an unknown amount of universe would suggest we don't know enough about the pace we inhabit and that ages of stars and systems in the universe are nothing more than guess work?
ReplyDeleteWell...So much for Peace of Mind by way of the comments on this. Not going to pretend to know more than scientists who agreed to have these findings published. Sure money is involved, but mostly about ego's, credit and the such. I am sure it had to be team work. These things don't change the facts they stated, and ya leaves more questions which lead to more research to learn more. Luv that we are Curious. I would luv to sit with someone as smart as these scientists, with glass of wine and have a conversation. No doubt it would be an inspiring, awesome time.
ReplyDeleteThe "Big Bang" ... you mean the "Cosmic Egg" hypothesis from ancient Mizraim and India?
ReplyDeleteWhat proof do we have that any of our modern mythology is true? None.
Not really. These people get paid to use their imagination and their opinions are considered "valid" solely because they have a doctoral degree. The best scientists in history have always been fantasy-science-fiction writers.
ReplyDeletePersons whom are simply smarter than doctoral holders because they can envision more but doesn't make any of it real.
Of course it is possible that our current theories are not accurate. That is exactly how science works. As new EVIDENCE is collected and studied, theories change to reflect our deeper understanding. Scientists will say "The Big Bang Theory" of cosmic origin reflects our best current understanding of our reality. You will find no actual scientist would say that any is theory "gospel", they leave mindless adherence to ancient and savage ways of thinking to the religious.
ReplyDelete