A 13.4-Billion-Year-Old Star Cluster Could Challenge Cosmic History

Astronomers have measured the age of VVV CL001, a faint globular cluster hidden behind dense clouds of dust near the center of the Milky Way. Infrared observations and the Hubble Space Telescope helped identify 155 cluster stars, revealing an estimated age of 13.4 billion years.  That places this ancient stellar group remarkably close to the age of the universe itself. If future observations confirm the result, VVV CL001 could raise important questions about how early the Milky Way—and its oldest stars—actually formed. Thank you for listening to Bedtime Astronomy — your guide to the cosmos. New episodes on space exploration, NASA missions & the latest astronomy breakthroughs. This episode includes AI-generated content.