Too much iron in a distant quasar suggests the universe is older than we
think.
by Vanessa Thomas
Studies of astronomical objects such as supernovae and very old stars have
told astronomers that the universe is between 13 and 14 billion years old.
But a quasar 13.5 billion light-years away is contesting this assessment.
Observations by the XMM-Newton x-ray telescope show that the quasar is endowed
with way too much iron for its age, suggesting the universe is either older
than we thought or a co
