News Astronomy Old stars reveal universe’s minimum age By Linda Wang February 8, 2001 at 5:40 pm - More than 2 years ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Astronomers agree that the universe began in a Big Bang. Just how long ago that was remains a matter of debate. Researchers detected uranium for the first time in an ancient star’s absorption spectra. R. Cayrel et al./Nature Now, using a more precise chronometer, an international research team estimates the universe to be at least 12.5