TNRTB Archive – Retained for reference information
A radio search for supernova remnants (SNRs) answers a common objection from those who argue for a young (six- to ten-thousand-year-old) cosmos. The number of currently known Galactic SNRs falls far below the number predicted for a 12-billion-year-old Milky Way Galaxy. Young-earth creationists use this discrepancy to contend that the Galaxy cannot be billions of years old, but instead is a few thousand years old. However, astronomers expect these SNRs to be difficult to detect based on size and brightness biases and source confusion in previous surveys. Recently, a sensitive, high-resolution radio survey of the Galactic plane revealed 35 new SNRs, more than tripling the number known in this part of the Galaxy. This result strongly suggests that similar surveys in the future will completely resolve the discrepancy between predictions and observations. Consequently, the young-earth objection no longer stands and RTB’s cosmic creation model receives new affirmation.
C. L. Bogan et al., “Discovery of 35 New Supernova Remnants in the Inner Galaxy,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 639 (2006): L25-29.
