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.'"

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

"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" ?

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?

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)

Old as the universe?

[jez9999]

Isn't everything as old as the universe; it just all shifted into different forms? (Like planet Earth)

the creationists will not like this

[rucs_hack]

With all these stars turning up that are considerably older then, what is it, 6000 years, they'll probably start foaming at the mouth. I wish I knew one nowadays so I could show them this article and watch the mental gymnastics as they sought to refute it.

ah yes, the funs.

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:"Right around the same time"

[click2005]

Yeah, you forgot part 3

1. Bang
2. Stars
3. Profit

Re:the creationists will not like this

[Jugalator]

Simple. God created our "world" 6000 years ago, but God, in His infinite wisdom, has tried to support the human spirit to explore and discover by placing a star long away from us that it seems to be 13.2 billion years old.

Re:Age of the universe.

[goombah99]

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

"Ancient Star Found, 13.2 Billion Years Old"

[Brad1138]

Did someone dig up Bob Hope again?

Re:So let there be light

[Cheezymadman]

Which will let us know how long of a break he took after doing each thing.

Using that evidence, we should be able to figure out (using some current day research and propotional math) how big God's beers were, and possibly even his brand!

My money is on Guinness Stout.

Re:"Right around the same time"

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Re:the creationists will not like this

[Urza9814]

Wow, you don't know anything, do you? God hasn't created the universe yet. He just wants us to think he did!

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:Age of the universe.

[Weston O'Reilly]

Wow - right out of the gate! First post and we're already into creationism bashing!

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.

Re:That was us

[Yusaku Godai]

Dude, that's like, so deep man.

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.

Re:I wonder

[bhiestand]

I have repeated your experiment and regret to say that I was unable to reproduce your results. Since a cat could not be located for this experiment, no cat jumped in the air therefor the universe will not end in such a horrible manner therefor we can all resume believing that everything will be hunky dory. Please forget what you saw. Thank you.

Re:I wonder

[bitt3n]

you raise an interesting conundrum, my friend. Is there a cat outside the universe, or is there not? If there is, then it dies of fright. Otherwise, it does not die at all. We might even say the cat is both dead and not dead, AT THE SAME TIME. One might even refer to this theory as a kind of "Uncertainty Principle". That name's not taken yet, is it?

Re:I wonder

[bitt3n]

Well, it didn't sound so much like a rip as like a bang. One could even call it a "Big Bang" theory. I think I'll go put the theory on Wikipedia before someone else steals the name.

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.

Re:"Right around the same time"

[Anonymous Coward]

When I saw the headline "Ancient Star Found, Estimated at 13.2 Billion Years Old", I thought this was an article about Bob Hope.