Surprise discovery of highly developed structure in the young universe

Eurekalert ^ | 03/02/05 | R. West

[Michael_Michaelangelo]

Combining observations with ESO's Very Large Telescope and ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray observatory, astronomers have discovered the most distant, very massive structure in the Universe known so far. It is a remote cluster of galaxies that is found to weigh as much as several thousand galaxies like our own Milky Way and is located no less than 9,000 million light-years away.

The VLT images reveal that it contains reddish and elliptical, i.e. old, galaxies. Interestingly, the cluster itself appears to be in a very advanced state of development. It must therefore have formed when the Universe was less than one third of its present age.

The discovery of such a complex and mature structure so early in the history of the Universe is highly surprising. Indeed, until recently it would even have been deemed impossible.

[snip]

"We are quite surprised to see that a fully-fledged structure like this could exist at such an early epoch," says Christopher Mullis. "We see an entire network of stars and galaxies in place, just a few thousand million years after the Big Bang".

"We seem to have underestimated how quickly the early Universe matured into its present-day state," adds Piero Rosati of ESO, another member of the team. "The Universe did grow up fast!"

[DannyTN]

What would also be interesting is to have that list cross-referenced with wether people believed in a global flood or not.

[aimhigh]

In fact, in order to say what "one day" is, you have to also specify your inertial reference frame, and unless you count Genesis, nobody has ever demonstrated what God's inertial reference frame is.

In Genesis - "Evening and morning, the first day.."

[cynicom]

Waiting for these scientists to show us how matter created itself from nothing.

[Sola Veritas]

Correct. All creationists would fall under the broader category of believing in intelligent design. However, not all ID proponents are creationists.

Personally, I think there are three groups:

1. Biblical Creationists (Take Biblical account literally)
2. Theistic Evolutionists (God guided)
3. Naturalistic Evolutionists (No God required)

[DannyTN]

Well there are a few ID proponents who don't believe in God. Strangely enough. I think they are few and far between.

There are people who believe in a long age earth who believe in a special creation for man.

[Dataman]

Waiting for these scientists to show us how matter created itself from nothing.

Ah, the obstacle that cannot be overcome. "What white elephant?" they say.

[AndrewC]

"We seem to have underestimated how quickly the early Universe matured into its present-day state," adds Piero Rosati of ESO, another member of the team. "The Universe did grow up fast!"

Thanks for the ping. I believe gravity was the only "structuring" force.