Have Astronomers Found a Star Older Than the Universe? (Journal Article) (2024)

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2021 · Physics Teacher

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1119/10.0003653· OSTI ID:1833318

Lincoln, Don ^[1]

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Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)

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The theory of the Big Bang is accepted nearly universally among the scientific community. However, there is a small cadre of individuals who dispute this consensus and they point to a handful of datums that don’t fit into the picture. One such datum is the existence of a star with an age reported to be older than the cosmos itself. This star is called the Methuselah star, named after the biblical patriarch. Obviously, if the age of this star is truly older than the universe, it would be a discovery of considerable concern to those who accept Big Bang cosmology. In the following text, I describe the debate, beginning with a brief historical treatment of the early discoveries. Furthermore, I have made this choice because the early papers are easy to understand and are accessible suggested reading for introductory students interested in the origins of some of the key evidence supporting the Big Bang.

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