‘Astounding’ Findings Pin Down Age of Universe, Birth of First Stars

space.com article

Astronomers announced today a slew of remarkable findings about the early cosmos, including a firm determination of the age of the universe and the discovery of when the first stars were born.

The discoveries, based on an all-sky map that is like a baby picture of the universe, were detailed at a NASA press conference. They provide the strongest support to date for the Big Bang theory of the creation of the universe and a sub-notion within that theory that asserts that “hyperinflation” ruled during the first seconds.

The results come from measurements of radiation emitted before there were any stars.