Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Is the Universe older than expected?

Is the Universe older than expected?

July 10, 2002

An analysis of 13.5 thousand million-year-old X-rays, captured by ESA's XMM-Newton satellite, has shown that either the Universe may be older than astronomers had thought or that mysterious, undiscovered 'iron factories' litter the early Universe.

ESA`s Norbert Schartel and colleagues from the Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik,Germany, found more iron than anyone thought possible in the extremely distant celestial object, APM 8279+5255. The object is a quasar, that is, a young galaxy containing an incredibly bright central region, caused by gas falling into a giant black hole.

APM 8279+5255 is 13.5 thousand million light years away. Scientists know this because they have estimated a property of its light known as the red shift, which is caused by the expansion of the Universe stretching the wavelengths of light emitted by the celestial object. XMM-Newton's data showed that iron was three times more abundant in the quasar than in our Solar System.




Since iron is released by exploding stars, according to precise physical phenomena, and scientists think it builds up across the Universe gradually with time. The Solar System formed just 5 thousand million years ago, so it should contain more iron than the quasar, which formed over 13.5 thousand million years ago. The fact that the quasar contains three times more iron than the Sun is therefore a major puzzle.

One possible explanation is that something is wrong with the way astronomers measure the age of objects in the Universe. The almost-holy red shift-distance-age conversion would therefore be wrong. Fred Jansen, ESA's project scientist for XMM-Newton, explains that this would mean rewriting the textbooks. "If you study the evolution of the Universe, one of the basic rules is that we can tie redshift to age. One distinct possibility to explain these observations is that, at the redshift we are looking at, the Universe is older than we think."

If the older-Universe interpretation is wrong, there is only one other, stranger possibility, according to Jansen. Somewhere in the early Universe there must be undiscovered `iron factories`, producing the metal by unknown physical means. Understandably, Jansen is cautious about this, saying, "This is the less likely solution in my opinion."

If such mysterious objects exist, perhaps XEUS (a next-generation X-ray satellite currently under study by ESA for launch sometime in the next decade) will discover them, because it will have the ability to see the very first galaxies.

In the shorter term, ESA is launching INTEGRAL, a gamma-ray-detecting satellite, in October 2002. It will observe exploding stars to study the formation of chemical elements and may explain the anomalous iron observations.

European Space Agency (ESA)



Related Quasar Current Events and Quasar News Articles Quasar Current Events and Quasar News RSS Quasar Current Events and Quasar News RSS
Hubble repair mission carrying $70 million CU-Boulder instrument on track for May 11 launch
A $70 million instrument designed by the University of Colorado at Boulder to probe the evolution of galaxies, stars and intergalactic matter from its perch on the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope is on schedule for its slated May 11 launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard NASA's space shuttle Atlantis.

Erratic Black Hole Regulates Itself
New results from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have made a major advance in explaining how a special class of black holes may shut off the high-speed jets they produce. These results suggest that these black holes have a mechanism for regulating the rate at which they grow.

NASA's Fermi Telescope Reveals Best-Ever View of Gamma-Ray Sky
A new map combining nearly three months of data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is giving astronomers an unprecedented look at the high-energy cosmos. To Fermi's eyes, the universe is ablaze with gamma rays from sources ranging from within the solar system to galaxies billions of light-years away.

Colors of Quasars Reveal a Dusty Universe
The vast expanses of intergalactic space appear to be filled with a haze of tiny, smoke-like "dust" particles that dim the light from distant objects and subtly change their colors, according to a team of astronomers from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-II).

Astronomers discover link between supermassive black holes and galaxy formation
A pair of astronomers from Texas and Germany have used a telescope at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory together with Hubble Space Telescope and many other telescopes around the world to uncover new evidence that the largest, most massive galaxies in the universe and the supermassive black holes at their hearts grew together over time.

Mystery of missing hydrogen
Something vital is missing in the far distant reaches of the Universe: hydrogen - the raw material for stars, planets and possible life.

Serendipitous observations reveal rare event in life of distant quasar
A bit of serendipity has given astronomers a surprise view of a never-before-observed event in the birth of a galaxy.

Colossal Black Holes Common in the Early Universe
Astronomers think that many - perhaps all - galaxies in the universe contain massive black holes at their centers. New observations with the Submillimeter Array now suggest that such colossal black holes were common even 12 billion years ago, when the universe was only 1.7 billion years old and galaxies were just beginning to form.

Young Galaxy's Magnetism Surprises Astronomers
Astronomers have made the first direct measurement of the magnetic field in a young, distant galaxy, and the result is a big surprise.

BOSS: the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) uses a 2.5-meter telescope with a wider field of view than any other large telescope, located on a mountaintop in New Mexico called Apache Point and devoted solely to mapping the universe.
More Quasar Current Events and Quasar News Articles
Quasar By Jesus Del Pozo For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Ounces

Quasar By Jesus Del Pozo For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Ounces
by Jesus Del Pozo

Introduced in 1994. Fragrance notes: the scent of newsprint, banana peel, lavender and moss. Recommended use: daytime.

Fellowes Quasar 500 Comb Binding Machine (52168)

Fellowes Quasar 500 Comb Binding Machine (52168)
by Fellowes

This stylish, user-friendly binding machine can handle virtually any office application. Designed for moderate to heavy use, the Quasar is perfect for mid-sized to large offices. This hard-working machine can easily punch up to 20 sheets at a time and bind documents as large as 500 sheets with a 2" comb. Vertical document loading ensures accurate punch alignment and the efficient design allows the user to punch and bind in a continuous manner for maximum productivity. Features built-in comb storage tray with document measurement device for added convenience and quick set-up. Adjustable rotary edge guide centers documents with ease. Includes binding starter pack.

Baby Quasar Photorejuvenation Light Therapy

Baby Quasar Photorejuvenation Light Therapy
by AdvanThera

Beautiful, more clear skin begins from within. There's actually good science behind light therapy which shows how cell rejuvenation will create a more youthful appearance. The Baby Quasar uses four different wavelengths, between 600 and 1200 nm, both red and infrared, to stimulate maximum cellular activity. Other devices only use either one or two wavelengths. Using SequePulse Technology, our patent pending answer to the problems associated with using multiple wavelengths, the Baby Quasar is the perfect solution for someone trying to achieve more youthful look without having to spend both time and money on a Skincare Therapist. The Baby Quasar is very compact and requires no extra valuable tabletop space. Keep it safely tucked out of the way when not in use.

  Quasars, Redshifts and Controversies
by Halton C. Arp (Author)



Quasar Pen with Continuously Changing Lights

Quasar Pen with Continuously Changing Lights
by Quasar

QP1-CTM

Quasar Baby Quasar + Baby Blue Power Pack 1 set

Quasar Baby Quasar + Baby Blue Power Pack 1 set
by Silver Bay, LLC

Bringing the Spa Home
Package Contains:
Baby Quas

Duracell Camcorder Battery for: Quasar VM-L153

Duracell Camcorder Battery for: Quasar VM-L153
by Battery-Biz, Inc.

Battery-Biz is a leading manufacturer and distributor of batteries, adapters and chargers and the industry's source for Hi-Capacity(TM) brand power products. Hi-Capacity(TM) products are made using the finest components available and carry a one year warranty against defects in material and workmanship. Hi-Capacity(TM) products are guaranteed to meet or exceed original specifications.

Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the World's Greatest Mystery

Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the World's Greatest Mystery
by Gian Quasar (Author)

Still unsolved, still baffling, still claiming new victims. Here are the untold stories.

A pilot reports a strange haze enveloping his plane, then disappears; eleven hours after fuel starvation, as if calling from a void, he is heard 600 miles away. He requests permission to land, then vanishes forever. A freighter steaming over placid seas disappears without a trace. A pleasure yacht ghosts past without a soul on board. A pilot calls for help because a "weird object" is harassing his plane. A jet collides with an "unknown" and is never found. . . .

Into the Bermuda Triangle is the first comprehensive examination of these baffling disappearances in more than a generation. Drawing on official reports from the NTSB and other investigative agencies as well as interviews with...

Quasar 4.2 oz. Eau De Toilette Spray For Men by J.Del Pozo

Quasar 4.2 oz. Eau De Toilette Spray For Men by J.Del Pozo
by J.Del Pozo

Quasar is a tribute to the man of today. He rebels against an uncertain system to give way to a renovated humanism. Another symbol of man's eternal concern for the Universe. Top notes: fresh, almost aquatic with fruit. Heart notes: lavender rosemary,

FEL 5217401 - Fellowes Quasar Wire Binding Machine

FEL 5217401 - Fellowes Quasar Wire Binding Machine
by Fellowes Inc

Wire Binding Machine,Binds 130 SH,Rotary Guide Adjustment

© 2009 BrightSurf.com