On April 29, 2011, NASA's Swift satellite spotted a gamma ray burst. It turned out to be a very important gamma burst indeed. Named GRB 090429B, the gamma burst is 13.14 billion light years from earth. The universe is only 13.7 billion years old anyway, so finding an even older object will be difficult. When the gamma ray burst occurred, the universe was 1/10 of the size it is now, and 1/25 of its current age. Apparently the burst of gamma rays spawned in one of the earliest galaxies that existed in our universe. Unfortunately our current observatories and telescopes can't see that galaxy, but it's possible that future ones will be able to. It's also possible that this isn't actually the furthest object ever seen, because accuracy in measurement is difficult when the object is so far.
I find this interesting. I'm sure that astronomers will probably find a further object before long, but it's interesting to know that we as humans can see things that happened 13.14 billion years ago, long before we or even earth existed. It makes me feel like humans are more powerful than the universe, that we can observe things that we took no part in. This all very interesting, but I also don't think that it is very useful. It doesn't help us solve our problems, and so far it hasn't led to any significant discoveries about the creation of the universe.
I find this interesting. I'm sure that astronomers will probably find a further object before long, but it's interesting to know that we as humans can see things that happened 13.14 billion years ago, long before we or even earth existed. It makes me feel like humans are more powerful than the universe, that we can observe things that we took no part in. This all very interesting, but I also don't think that it is very useful. It doesn't help us solve our problems, and so far it hasn't led to any significant discoveries about the creation of the universe.
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