There is a star who looks older than the Universe

In our galaxy there are the star HD 140283, often called the Methuselah star, because it looks as if it 16 billion years. Given that the age of our universe is estimated at only 13, 8 billion years old, this star just should not exist. Studies have failed to clarify: the whole point of the characteristics of the star, as the distance from us, its brightness and composition.

To determine the age of the luminaries team of astronomers, led by Howard Bond has used the famous Hubble. People knew about the existence of red subgiant HD 140283 100 years, but only recently was able to determine its chemical composition - hydrogen and helium, with a minimum of metal. Such a composition is inherent in very old stars. In addition, the brightness of the stars Methuselah gradually decreases due to hydrogen burning in the implementation of thermonuclear reactions. The distance between this star and the Earth - about 190 light years, it is located on the outskirts of our galaxy, in the so-called "halo" - the ring of dark matter around the Milky Way, and so it seems to us even more dull.

Taking into account all these factors, the astronomers were able to calculate the real age of the star - 13, 7 billion. Years. She even almost the same age of our universe, but still a little bit younger. Perhaps the star belongs to the second generation of stars formed a few million years after the Big Bang.

via factroom.ru