Stars vibrate their ages
17 May 2006
by Carina Lee
Vibrations from stars help scientists in determining a star’s age, according to new research done by Australian astrophysicist, Professor Tim Bedding from the University of Sydney. This is the first time anyone has ever directly measured the age of a star by looking at it with a telescope. Due to the active gaseous composition, most stars including the Sun, vibrate continuously. Professor Bedding and his colleagues have developed a system whereby computer models can be used to detect the fine pulsations emitted by stars. Bedding explained to ABC News Online “It doesn't just vibrate simply in and out. It vibrates in lots of different modes simultaneously.” A lot can be derived by just looking at the vibrating patterns in stars, such as the composition, mass, and ages of the star. The study of these processes, known as asteroseismology, requires the use of expensive telescopes for which Professor Bedding hopes to raise funds for in order to continue this interesting research. |
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