How do scientists calculate the age of the universe?

Answer 1

A quick estimate can be done by observing how fast galaxies move away from us (on average). If that is compared with the distance to the galaxies, then it looks as if all galaxies were closely together something like 13 or 14 billion years ago.

Answer 2

thry mearsure the distance to the farthest galaxy

Answer2. The age of the Universe is around 16 billion light years away or old.

There are three completely independent means of measuring the age of our Universe, and all result in about the same age of 12 to 15 billion years:

1) Once a white dwarf is formed, it will remain stable for trillions of years. None have been found older than twelve billion years, however.

2) The inverse of the Hubble Constant -- ie, the time all matter in our observed Universe would return to sub-atomic size -- is about thirteen billion years.

3) Ratios of long-lasting radioactive isotopes to their decay products give close to the same value as (2).

Answer 3

Scientists estimate the age of the universe two ways. 1) The universe is expanding and celestial objects are moving away from each other at an increasing rate. By measuring the rate of expansion and calculating backward to the beginning of this expansion they know when the big bang happened and thus how old the universe is. 2) The age of stars (suns) can be calculated. By determining the age of the oldest stars they know when they began and thus when the universe began.

Answer 4

Scientists calculate the age of the universe by measuring the rate of expansion of the universe, known as the Hubble constant, and then extrapolating backwards to determine when the universe began. This method is based on the Big Bang theory, which suggests that the universe originated from a single point of infinite density and temperature roughly 13.8 billion years ago.

Answer 5

By using the distance from the Earth to various galaxies and by calculating the ages of old, nearby stars

Answer 6

They extrapolate the current observable expansion of the universe backwards and it comes together in a single point at that time.