Age Crisis

The Age Crisis is a former problem in physics which incorrectly posited that certain stars must actually be older than the universe itself.^[1]

Additional recommended knowledge

Daily Visual Balance Check

Weighing the right way

Daily Sensitivity Test

For a short time in the mid-1990s, the estimated age of the universe (under a then-current theoretical model of the universe) was around 10 billion years. However, age estimates for globular cluster stars in our galaxy were between 13 and 18 billion years. ^[1]

Better estimates for the distances to the stars used in the age measurements (and the realization that the stars in question were more luminous than previously believed) brought the range of expected ages down by a few billion years. Additionally, factoring dark energy into the cosmological model pushed the age estimate for the universe to the current value of 13.7 billion years. ^[1]

See also

• Big Bang

References