An interactive Milky Way map released using data from Planck satellite has revealed that older stars were actually 150 years younger. The European Space Agency (ESA) had launched the satellite in February 2009 has started to orbit earth from July.
The Planck satellite was developed with support from U.S National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and observed the radiation left behind by Big Bang called Cosmic Wave Background (CMB). The detailed map shows different views of the Milky Way, dust, magnetic fields, “free-free” and carbon-monoxide gas.
“Planck can see the old light from our universe’s birth, gas and dust in our own galaxy,” said Charles Lawrence, a NASA scientist for the mission.
While the data from the satellite created an interactive map, researchers stumbled upon new findings like the difference in the universe after the release of CMB. Earlier it was though that the Dark Ages before the birth of stats lasted for 300 to 400 million years but new findings has revealed that the period lasted for 550 million years.
Marco Bersnalli, an ESA researcher stated that the 100 million years may seem negligible keeping in view the universe’s age og 14 billion years and when it comes to the formation of the early stars. Only limited information has been revealed as scientists are still in the early research process.
However data from Planck does not show any signs of gravitational waves though researchers are likely to intensify the search in the future. Cosmologist Kendrick Smith, a member of International Planck Collaboration stated that there were several questions regarding the creation of the universe and the changes after Big Bang that they were eager to find.
More information and facts about the Big Bang is likely to be revealed in the coming days.
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