SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-universe-age

About how old do scientists think the universe is?

About 13.8 billion years old.

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  1. About 13.8 billion years ✔
  2. About 4.6 billion years
  3. About 1.4 billion years

Why: Scientists trace the universe back to a huge expansion about 13.8 billion years ago. The 4.6 billion figure is the age of our Sun and solar system, which came much later.

Huh, didn't know that: The faint leftover glow from the early universe, the cosmic microwave background, still fills the whole sky.

The dad joke
Why is the universe never on time for parties? It is always expanding its schedule.
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References

Answer: About 13.8 billion years. Scientists trace the universe back to a huge expansion about 13.8 billion years ago. The 4.6 billion figure is the age of our Sun and solar system, which came much later.

  1. NASA Science: Universe Overview science.nasa.gov/universe/overview
    Around 13.8 billion years ago, the universe expanded faster than the speed of light for a fraction of a second
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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