Hubble snaps photo of 13 billion year old galaxy — oldest on record

http://www.thestatecolumn.com ^ | 01-14-2012 | Staff

[aimhigh]

Thus scientists measure the amount of this red shift to determine the receding speed and thus the distance, in light-years.

Of course this assumes the red shift is totally unaffected by whatever forces, known or unknown, exist in the path of the billions of light years traveled.

[blueunicorn6]

I think it’s kind of mean to say this galaxy is “the oldest on record”. What if someone wants to hire him as an insurance salesman, but here we’ve said he’s too old? We could be charged with abetting age discrimination. Let’s just call it a “Seasoned Galaxy”. There, that’s better.

[Hebrews 11:6]

You're quite correct about that assumption, but you're not the only one ever to point that out. Astronomers have invented various means of testing it, with very satisfactory results. Full details are widely available.

[Future Snake Eater]

The calculation is based on “red shift,” IIRC.

[tob2]

Is that Old Galaxy 13 billion years old? lol

[The Cajun]

About pushing the limit if the age of the universe, as calculated, is right.
The recessional velocity of it has to be tremendous, approaching the speed of light.
Think that will remain our limit, the universe is probably bigger, but if objects are receding at C or greater, we'll never see them.

Just my simple minded point of view :^)

[rabidralph]

Creation is not necessarily linear. God could have created the universe long, long before he decided to make Earth.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks gargoyle, this will be an “extra extra” ping to the APoD list (alas, I didn’t send the updated list to myself for road access, so tomorrow).

[gargoyle]

tomorrow

...Your welcome, have a good trip. I'm certain that after 13 billion years, this galaxy will still be there another day, at least. (-;)

[SunkenCiv]

Of course, in three years it’ll be 13,000,000,003 years old.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks .

El Gordo -- whose name means "the fat one" in Spanish -- is officially known as ACT-CL J0102-4915 and "is located more than 7 billion light-years from Earth."

There's only one El Gordo:

[Yardstick]

I like more of a middle aged Galaxy:

[SunkenCiv]

An “extra, extra” ping to the APoD list members. Thanks gargoyle.

[TheOldLady]

Talk about yesterday's news! This was 13.1 billion years ago, FGS!