ASTROPHYSICS/ COSMOLOGY PROBLEM?

Robert

New member
I am doing an essay at the moment and I am stuck. If a planet called Htrae is given an estimated age of 4.5x10^9 yrs by its residents. Can you explain to me how they may have calculated this. Please give me as much info as possible as well as links to other sites where I can get relevent info.

Many many thaks in adavnace
 
The first poster was correct that we use radioactive isotopes in rocks from Earth and space to date the age of the solar system, but incorrect that we use carbon dating to do so - carbon has a pretty short half-life compared to the age of the Earth, and statistically would not be a useful choice for long-range dating. We use several other long-lived isotopes instead, one of which is uranium.
 
Hey man, this question aint got nothing much to do with astronomy, or cosmology. This is a question involving geological sciences and carbon sciences. Notice Astronomy and cosmology is to do with outer space more than to do with planetary interiors. Anyways man, your fictional planet could be similar to earth. Carbon dating. The people on htrae found artifacts, after carbon dated was given and assimiliated a date. Soil samples. Sedimentary, isosaic rocks and soil may have layered upon each other from different time periods. The htrae dudes might have extracted the soil from the earth and noticed the difference in color, texture, etc. Here in earth, dats how we scrutinized the earth's age.
 
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