Oldest planetary system discovered so far formed 11.2 billion years ago

Los Angeles Times : Based on data collected by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft, astronomers have identified an ancient star , called Kepler-444, that has five planets in orbit around it. Smaller than Earth, the planets are thought to be rocky terrestrials rather than gas giants. The system is located some 117 light-years from Earth and formed about 11.2 billion years ago, when the universe was just 2.6 billion years old. The low metal content of Kepler-444 indicates its extreme age because metals have formed and increased in abundance since the Big Bang. By studying the frequency at which the star pulsates, astronomers were able to determine its mass, radius, and density. They detected the planets indirectly, by noting the periodic dimming of the star when the planets passed in front of it. The discovery indicates that Earth-sized planets could have formed throughout most of the universe’s history and that life could have developed very early on.