The universe is estimated to be about 13.8 billion years old, while the star Methuselah, also known as HD 140283, is approximately 14.5 billion years old. This discrepancy may initially seem puzzling, as it seems logical that the universe should be older than its constituents. However, the key to solving this puzzle lies in the history of the universe's formation and stellar evolution. The universe began with the Big Bang approximately 13.8 billion years ago, but stars like Methuselah formed much later, from the remnants of earlier stars. Methuselah is a Population II star composed of the oldest and most elemental materials. Its age is determined by its composition and analysis of its motion through space. Therefore, Methuselah is older than the universe itself, as it formed from matter that existed before the universe took its current form.

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