Age of the universe

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/age-of-the-universe

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the dominant cosmological model?Lambda-CDM (ΛCDM) model
2. What is the primary observational constraint?Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation anisotropies
3. How do scientists know the universe is 13.8 billion years old?Scientists use a model called Lambda-CDM and data from satellites like WMAP and Planck that map the cosmic microwave background. By studying tiny temperature differences in that background, they calculate how long the universe has been expanding. The result is about 13.8 billion years.
4. What is the cosmic microwave background?It is a faint glow of light left over from the very early universe, about 380,000 years after the Big Bang. Satellites can map its tiny temperature variations, which give clues about the universe’s age and composition.

Lambda-CDM Model: A standard model of cosmology describing the universe's composition and evolution, including dark energy (Lambda) and cold dark matter.
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB): The faint afterglow of the Big Bang, providing crucial data on the early universe's properties.
Hubble Constant (H0): The rate at which the universe is expanding at the present time.