‘Missing link’ between Big Bang, creation of stars uncovered
By IANSThursday, January 6, 2011
LONDON - Astronomers have uncovered the ‘missing link’ in the evolution of the universe following the Big Bang.
For years the scientists knew 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 Cambridge University researchers have now captured light emitted from a massive black hole to peer into this unknown portion of the history of the universe.
They 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, the Daily Mail reported.
Max Pettini of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy believes the discovery of these gases could help reveal the origin of the universe.
He said: “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.”
The Cambridge scientists teamed up with researchers at the California Institute of Technology to carry out the ground-breaking research.
