The first stars in the universe apparently formed 100 million years later than previously thought, according to new research.

This data was acquired from the European Space Agency's Planck Space Telescope and indicates the first ancient star formations began some 550 million years after the Big Bang occurred and gave life to the cosmos.

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Before stars were born in the reionization epoch, the universe was literally existing in a dark age where there was no visible light. The Big Bang occurred some 13.8 billion years and filled up the universe with matter.

Scientists previously though the earliest stars began shining some 440 million years ago after the Big Bang. New data which have yet to be confirmed by more measurements and data, however, suggest stars are 100 million years younger.

The Planck space telescope was launched in 2009 to further study the cosmic microwave background or the remnants of faint radiation echoes from the Big Bang. This telescope was built for precision, however. It was decommissioned in 2013 after it ran out of liquid helium coolant.

According to scientist Carlo Baccigalupi of the International School of Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy, Planck's observations suggest stars are younger than first believed. He said this new understanding can produce major consequences in the attempt to further understand the dark forces found in the universe.

These dark forces involve invisible dark matter and dark energy, which are forces that exist in the universe and whose natures are still unknown to scientists.

The reionization that occurred during the Big Bang refers to a process in which ultraviolet light energy exploded from the first stars. This split hydrogen atoms into protons and electrons.

These findings were published in the journal, Astronomy and Astrophysics.

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