Massive Black Hole Reveals Previously Unknown History of Universe

Cambridge University astronomers have discovered the 'missing link' in the evolution of the Universe following the Big Bang, it was claimed today. For years scientists have known nothing about the 'dark ages' of space -- a period between the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago and the creation of the first stars. But newly captured light emitted from a massive black hole has allowed scientists to peer into this unknown portion of the history of the Universe.

Astronomers discovered remnants of the first stars and evidence of the aftermath of an exploding star, which was a staggering 25 times larger than the sun. Professor Max Pettini, of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, believes the discovery of these gases could help reveal the origins of the Universe.

"We have effectively been able to peer into the Dark Ages using the light emitted from a quasar. The light provides a backdrop against which any gas cloud in its path can be measured. We discovered tiny amounts of elements present in the cloud in proportions that are very different from their relative proportions in normal stars today. We have effectively been able to peer into the Dark Ages using the light emitted from a quasar. Most significantly, the ratio of carbon to iron is 35 times greater than measured in the sun.

"The composition enables us to infer that the gas was released by a star 25 times more massive than the sun and originally consisting of only hydrogen and helium. In effect, this is a fossil record that provides us with a missing link back to the early universe."

The Cambridge scientists teamed up with researchers at the California Institute of Technology to carry out the ground-breaking research, using light emitted from a massive black hole, called a quasar, to 'light up' gases released by the young stars.

These early stars are believed to hold the key to how the Universe evolved from being filled with hydrogen and helium to one rich in heavier elements such as oxygen, carbon and iron. Lasting half a billion years after the Big Bang, this period is inaccessible to telescopes because the clouds of gas that filled the universe then were not transparent. But astronomers in California and Cambridge successfully located a rare cloud released from a star using the world's largest telescopes

The Daily Galaxy via thedailymail.com/uk

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Comments

[Christophla]

VY Canis Majoris is 300 times larger than our Sun... and it is present today.

[EE]

This story is four months old:
http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/content/new.light.shed.cosmic.dark.ages

[NOLI]

yeah , what we know is that a black hole has such a gravity that can catch all THE light which is present near him, this theory which is so possible that can be called true says that such discoveries aren't good, or how i call them '' failures'' , I THINK THAT THEY ONLY COUGHT THE LIGHT WHICH WAS EMITTED FROM THE STAR A ''GOOD'' TIME BEFORE THE EXPLOSION AND NOT LIGHT EMITTED FROM THE BLACK HOLE, what so called astrophysicists are there ?!!!!

[ipad 2 case]

I am so sorry that I am a visiter.