Universe Is 80 Million Years Older Than Previously Thought

The universe is 80 million years older than previously thought, according to new observations from the European Space Agency's $900 million Planck space probe, which mapped a detailed diagram of the "cosmic light" that originated after the Big Bang, reinforcing  predictions that were made decades ago using mathematical models, according to a report by the Associated Press.

George Efstathiou, director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge hailed the findings, saying "We've uncovered a fundamental truth of the universe," the AP reported from Paris, where the ESA has its headquarters.

The Planck space probe looked deep into the abyss of space towards the origin of the universe, the Big Bang, and the afterglow it left behind.

"It's a big pat on the back for our understanding of the universe," California Institute of Technology physicist Sean Carroll, a scientist not involved in the project, said to the AP

"In terms of describing the current universe, I think we have a right to say we're on the right track."

A detailed map of the universe was constructed based on data gathered by the Planck.

The results added 80 million years to the age of the universe, putting it at 13.81 billion years old, the AP report stated.

The Planck space probe spent 15.5 months mapping light data imprinted on the sky when the universe was just 380,000 years old.

"The extraordinary quality of Planck's portrait of the infant Universe allows us to peel back its layers to the very foundations, revealing that our blueprint of the cosmos is far from complete. Such discoveries were made possible by the unique technologies developed for that purpose by European industry," siad Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA's Director General in a statement. 

The Planck is expected to keep transmitting data until it runs out of fuel in 2013.