Sharks vs. the Universe: Just How Old Are Sharks Compared to the Cosmos?
Shark Week is a celebration of one of Earth’s most fascinating and ancient species. But did you know that sharks have been swimming in our oceans for over 400 million years, long before many of the stars, planets, and galaxies we study in astronomy were even formed?
You read that right: sharks aren’t just fierce ocean predators, they’re also some of Earth’s most enduring survivors. Here’s a look at just how ancient sharks are compared to some well-known astronomical features:
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Saturn’s Rings (~100 million years old): The rings of Saturn are younger than you might think. By the time they formed, sharks had already survived multiple extinction events.
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The Pleiades Star Cluster (75–150 million years old): This bright cluster in Taurus is beloved by stargazers. Sharks had been gliding through prehistoric seas for hundreds of millions of years before the Pleiades took shape.
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One Galactic Orbit of the Sun (200–225 million years): Our solar system takes about 225 million years to orbit the center of the Milky Way. Sharks have lived long enough to complete two full galactic orbits.
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Many Known Exoplanets: Most exoplanets discovered so far are younger than sharks. These mysterious worlds might be new to us, but sharks have been around since before they even existed.
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The Boötes Void (light travel time ~350 million years): Light takes 350 million years to cross this enormous cosmic void. Sharks were already patrolling ancient oceans when that journey began.
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Polaris, the North Star (~70 million years old): Even our current North Star is relatively young compared to the lineage of sharks.
This Shark Week, take a moment to appreciate not just the power and beauty of these misunderstood marine animals, but their incredible place in the timeline of the universe. From Earth’s primordial seas to Saturn’s shimmering rings, sharks have outlasted some of the cosmos’s greatest wonders.