Claim CE401:

If the universe is old, many supernova remnants (SNRs) should have reached the third, oldest stage. We observe no Stage 3 SNRs and few Stage 2 SNRs. Both observations are consistent with a young universe, not an old one.

Source:

Response:

1. Many more SNRs have been found, including many Stage 3 remnants older than 20,000 years. And the census is not over yet. If the universe is old, many SNRs should have reached the third, oldest stage, and that is what we see. The evidence contradicts a young universe, not an old one.
   
   
2. Davies's estimate of what proportion of SNRs should be visible to us is grossly oversimplified. It is impossible to say with certainty what proportion should be visible. Furthermore, he ignores data, including observations of possible old remnants, that would weaken his case.
   
   SNRs are relatively hard to see. They would not be visible for one million years, the figure Davies used in his calculations. A million years is the theoretical lifetime of a remnant; it will be visible for a much shorter time because of background noise and obscuring dust and interstellar matter. Fewer than 1 percent of SNRs last more than 100,000 years. It may be that as few as 15-20 percent of supernova events are visible at all through the interstellar matter.
   
   
3. Supernovas are evidence for an old universe in other ways:
   • Supernovas are evidence that stars have reached the end of their lifetime, which for many stars is billions of years.
   • The formation of new stars indicates that many are second generation; the universe must be old enough for some stars to go through their entire lifetime and for the dust from their supernovas to collect into new stars.
   • It takes time for the light from the supernovas to reach us. All supernovas and SNRs are more than 7,000 light-years from us. SN 1987A was 167,000 +/- 4,000 light years away.

Links:

Moore, Dave, 2001. Supernovae, supernova remnants and young earth creationism FAQ. http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/supernova/

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