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13-Billion-Year-Old Alien Worlds Discovered

Posted by Soulskill on from the i-was-orbiting-when-your-sun-was-in-diapers dept.

astroengine writes "Two exoplanets have been discovered by scientists at the Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy orbiting the star HIP 11952. But according to conventional thinking, these worlds shouldn't exist. You see, HIP 11952 is a 'metal-poor star and planetary formation is hindered around stars with low metallicity (PDF). This isn't the only thing; as metal-poor stars were the first stars to form when the Universe was very young, these two worlds also formed around the same time. They are therefore the most ancient exoplanets discovered to date."

11 of 302 comments (clear)

  1. Astronomers are so funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    In fifty years everyone will look back and laugh at us for putting an age on an ageless thing.

    1. Re:Astronomers are so funny by jhoegl · · Score: 4, Funny

      Except when the ladies ask you that, you say "My love for you".
      You are welcome.

    2. Re:Astronomers are so funny by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Funny

      time is not an illusion at all, it is the increase in entropy of the structures of the visible universe, it is a non-conserved state function

      So, does time run backward in your freezer, and faster than normal around it?

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    3. Re:Astronomers are so funny by tverbeek · · Score: 5, Funny

      Being stoned doesn't make you more insightful than anyone else. It just makes you stoned.

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    4. Re:Astronomers are so funny by laejoh · · Score: 5, Funny

      I always tell them "life without you is like a broken pencil!". If she's a Blackadder Fan she will understand :)

    5. Re:Astronomers are so funny by dominious · · Score: 4, Funny

      no, the refrigerator does work moving heat to the outside in time with some of that energy thereafter unavailable to do work, increasing the overall entropy of the universe even though causing a local decrease of entropy inside

      And that folks, is the definition of a refrigerator here on Slashdot! Still wonder why you don't have any gfs? Seriously though, this is why I love /.

    6. Re:Astronomers are so funny by lxs · · Score: 3, Funny

      No. Pointless.

  2. Re:I'm confused by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Planets form around sun" certainly was news 13 billion years ago, it just took this long to reach Slashdot's front page.

    --
    Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
  3. Re:maybe they dont exist by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Funny

    They're only 375 light years away.

    Maybe the light took the scenic route.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  4. Re: Ford Prefect by Rhodri+Mawr · · Score: 4, Funny

    Time is an illusion. Lunchtime, doubly so.

  5. So we found planets older than dirt. by netsavior · · Score: 4, Funny

    another idiom busted