AI Generated Image
Is the universe younger than we thought? Scientists weigh in
Futura, le média qui explore le monde • • science
Key Points:
- A new study led by Indranil Banik at the University of Portsmouth questions whether the age of the universe has been miscalculated, addressing the ongoing Hubble tension in cosmology.
- Two primary methods estimate the universe's age: cosmic microwave background radiation suggests about 13.8 billion years, while supernova observations imply a younger age of 12.5 to 12.9 billion years, creating a significant discrepancy.
- Banik’s team analyzed nearly 250,000 old, metal-poor Milky Way stars using data from LAMOST and Gaia, estimating the oldest stars' age at 13.73 billion years, consistent with the cosmic microwave background age.
- The study supports the older universe age near 13.8 billion years and challenges the younger age suggested by supernova data, though the Hubble tension remains unresolved.
- Possible explanations for the tension include changes in dark energy over time or the impact of dark matter clumping on cosmic expansion rates, but more research is needed.
