Ancient Star Found, Estimated at 13.2 Billion Years Old

raguirre writes "An article on Physorg.org reports that a newly found star may be as old as the universe itself. Recent studies have concluded that the Big Bang occurred somewhere in the neighborhood of 13.7 Billion years ago. The star, a heavy-elements laden fossil labeled HE 1523-0901 on charts was probably born right around the same time; approximately 13.2 Billion years ago. 'Today, astronomer Anna Frebel of the the University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory and her colleagues have deduced the star's age based on the amounts of radioactive elements it contains compared to certain other "anchor" elements, specifically europium, osmium and iridium.'"

Comments

Age of the universe.

[saintlupus]

Of course, according to some pastors, that star is only a few thousand years old. It barely predates The Flood.

--saint

Re:Age of the universe.

[goombah99]

A thousand, a billion, it still wants you off it's lawn.

"Right around the same time"

[LBArrettAnderson]

Recent studies have concluded that the Big Bang occurred somewhere in the neighborhood of 13.7 Billion years ago. The star, a heavy-elements laden fossil labeled HE 1523-0901 on charts was probably born right around the same time; approximately 13.2 Billion years ago.

Since when was "right around the same time" the same thing as "500 million years later" ?

Re:"Right around the same time"

[Mateo_LeFou]

Since the quantity in question (500m) represents only about 3% of the other quantity in question (13.7b)

Re:"Right around the same time"

[click2005]

Yeah, you forgot part 3

1. Bang
2. Stars
3. Profit

Re:"Right around the same time"

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd like to Bang Stars for Profit as well!

Re:"Right around the same time"

[bitt3n]

Since when was "right around the same time" the same thing as "500 million years later" ?

"Hi honey, I'm on my way to pick you up for the movies, and I'll be there in half an hour."
"Great! I just have to get dressed, so I should be ready right around the same time."

Re:"Right around the same time"

[QuickFox]

Since when was "right around the same time" the same thing as "500 million years later" ? What? You think 500 million years is a long time?

*Sigh!* Today's youth, always impatient.

Re:"Right around the same time"

[Paradise Pete]

Of course, who's to say that their method of dating stars isn't wrong.

I'm not sure you've read your own sig.

Aye

[Mateo_LeFou]

"a newly found start may be as old as the universe itself"

Well, that's why they call it a 'start' isn't it?

So let there be light

[Colin Smith]

Took 500 million years. So we should be able to work out how long God's days are!!!!

Re:the creationists will not like this

[ozbird]

A more likely scenario is that God had one hell (Hell?) of a bender the night before "The Beginning".
"Let there be light." Eergh! (buries His head under the covers for a few hundred million years.)

Re:I wonder

[bitt3n]

I performed your experiment and discovered the answer to the question of whether the universe will continue to expand indefinitely, or one day begin collapsing inward. I solemnly report the existence of a unimaginably horrible third alternative, one that even at this relatively minor scale caused the cat to jump three feet in the air.

ATHF 2

[suv4x4]

An ancient sun.

An alien with a secret.

An astronomer with a past.

A galaxy thorn asunder.

An astronaut on the edge.

A hidden moon.

A mythical planet.

An ancient.. mythical.. secret.. planet sun guy.

And a flaming chicken.

In 2009, none of these things, happen in ATHF 2.
Except the flaming chicken.