Outer Space & Universe
Outer Space & Universe
Space, also known as outer space, is the near-vacuum between celestial bodies. It is where everything (all of the planets, stars, galaxies and other objects) is found.
On Earth, space begins at the Kármán line (100 km above sea level). This is where Earth's atmosphere is said to stop and outer space begins. This is not a firm boundary but is a convention used by scientists and diplomats.
Items in space are free to move back and forth; up and down; and left and right. These three dimensions are what make 3D space. Items also move forward through time, which is sometimes called the fourth dimension.
The majority of space contains very little matter and so most of it is a vacuum. Scientists do not know how big space is but we do know that space is extremely big, and is always expanding.
According to the big bang theory, all matter and energy in the Universe was compressed into a very small space. Then it exploded and started expanding. Space is still growing in size today; this means the distance from one galaxy to distant galaxies is getting longer.
Gravity is the force that keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth and the planets in orbit around the Sun. Gravity can stretch and bend space similar to how a heavy ball placed on a stretched sheet of rubber will cause the rubber to stretch. The scientist who discovered that space can bend is named Albert Einstein. How gravity bends space is part of his theory of general relativity.
Astronauts, Cosmonauts, Taikonauts and Spationauts
An astronaut is any person who is trained by NASA to travel and perform tasks in space. Although the space traveler may not necessarily be a United States citizen, each astronaut does go through a rigorous training regiment by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Other space travelers go by other names then astronaut depending on their country of origin.
In the United States, astronaut is derived from the Greek words ástron (star) and nautis (sailor). While, in Russia, a space traveler goes by the name космонавт (English: cosmonaut), which is derived from the Greek words kosmos (universe) and nautis (sailor). Westerners call a space traveler from China a taikonaut, based on the 1998 writings of Chiew Lee Yik and Chen Lan where the term tàikōng (great emptiness), Chinese for “space”. In China, the term yuháng yuán (universe navigator) is used for space traveler.
Only the United States of America (United States), Russia (earlier, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), and the People’s Republic of China (China) have sent manned spacecraft into space. Other countries have assisted these countries by sending their own space travelers on space missions. For instance, a French space traveler is called a spationaut (from the French word spationaute), which is derived from the Latin spatium (space) and Greek nautis (sailor). (plural in Greek nautes = sailors)
-
06:33
Saturn's moon Mimas may have a subsurface ocean! Paris Observatory explains
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesData from NASA's Cassini mission suggests that Saturn's moon Mimas may have a "relatively new and still evolving" subsurface ocean, according to the Observatoire de Paris. Full Story: https://www.space.com/saturn-death-star-moon-mimas-liquid-subsurface-oc
-
00:30
Pan: Dim, but still distinct
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesA spiral galaxy, with two prominent arms that are tightly wound around the brighter core. The arms disperse into a wide halo of stars and dust at their ends, giving the galaxy an oval shape. It is flanked by a number of bright stars in the foreground, eac
-
05:35
2 Big Satellites almost collided in the sky Moments ago creating a Debris field event over Earth!
Added 93 Views / 0 Likesand a Tornado just hit Grand Blanc Michigan as a record size wildfire burns across Texas. Stay safe.God bless everyone,Thttps://www.paypal.me/THORnewshttps://venmo.com/TEric-Lewison$THORnews on CashApphttps://www.patreon.com/thornews
-
01:19
Japanese company Space One developing four-stage Kairos solid rocket
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesIf successful, Space One will be first Japanese private launch company to reach orbit. The Kairos rocket will launch from Space Port Kii in Kushimoto, western Japan. Credit: Space.comn | animation: Space One | edited by [Steve Spaleta](https://twitter.com
-
00:53
Mars Perseverance rover's new 'Comet Geyser' sample 'great for biosignature studies'
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Perseverance rover on Mars has collected its 24th sample of Jezero Crater. The new 'Comet Geyser' sample is "great for biosignature studies," according to the space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
-
02:34
Space to Ground: Preparing for Guests: May 10, 2024
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. Got a question or comment? Use #AskNASA to talk to us.Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:https://www.nasa.gov/iss-scien
-
03:00
RED ALERT! Torrential Flooding for Texas & the Southern USA! and MOAR X-Class Flare Energy!
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesYou rock.God bless everyone,Thttps://www.paypal.me/THORnewshttps://venmo.com/TEric-Lewison$THORnews on CashApphttps://www.patreon.com/thornews
-
08:51
Red Alert! BIG STORMS brewing for Next Week! and other news.
Added 93 Views / 0 Likesi hope you are well.God bless everyone,Thttps://www.paypal.me/THORnewshttps://venmo.com/TEric-Lewison$THORnews on CashApphttps://www.patreon.com/thornews
-
00:58
Euclid space telescope delivers stunning views of the cosmos
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesSee some of the first images released by ESA from the Euclid space telescope. Full Story: https://www.space.com/euclid-space-telescope-new-images-may-23CREDITESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. An
-
01:06
Suspected SpaceX space debris found in North Carolina mountains
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesA large piece of debris suspected to have been from the reentry of the SpaceX Crew-7 mission was found along a trail in a remote section of the North Carolina mountains. Space.com's Brett Tingley reports from scene.Credit: Space.com | produced and edited
-
Watch Live! First crewed Boeing Starliner to launch atop Atlas V rocket
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesBoeing will launch its first-ever Starliner astronaut mission for NASA as early as June 1, 2024 on a critical test flight to show its commercial space capsule is ready to ferry crews to and from the International Space Station. The so-called Starliner Cre
-
01:07
SpaceX to launch Starship on 4th test flight! Mission objectives, trajectory and more
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesSpaceX is preparing Starship for its 4th integrated test flight. See amazing views of the rocket on the pad along with mission objectives and trajectory here. Credit: Space.com | footage: SpaceX | edited by [Steve Spaleta](https://twitter.com/stevespaleta
-
01:18
Moon sample container removed from Chang'e-6 capsule by researchers
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesChinese researchers have removed the container that is carrying the samples of the far side of the moon from the Chang'e-6 capsule. Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)
-
08:59
Red Alert! 2+ Million people without Power as Hurricane Beryl barrels through Houston!
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesThis storm is packing a punch.God bless everyone,T
-
10:47
Blastoff! Europe's Ariane 6 rocket launches for 1st time
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesAn Ariane 6 rocket launched nine cubesats into low Earth orbit (LEO) from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on July 9, 2024. Credit: ESA
-
06:56
X-Class Solar Flare & one of the Wildest Days in USA History.
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesStay cool & play defense,we ain't done with July 15th & 16th yet.God bless everyone,T
-
01:08
Boom! Small asteroid expected to hit Earth above the Phillipines, will burn up
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesA 3 foot (1 meter) wide asteroid is expected to impact Earth on Sept. 4, 2024 at 12:46 p.m. ET (1646 GMT) above the Western Pacific Ocean near Luzon Island in the Philippines. The space rock's designation is 2024 RW1 (originally CAQTDL2). Full Story: http
-
05:11
Planets, a solar sail and observe the moon night in Sept. 2024 skywatching
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesFind out where to spot Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in Sept. 2024. Also, see a solar sail streak across the night sky and more! Night sky: What you can see this month: https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.htmlBest night sky events this month
-
01:23
Chinese astronauts conduct experiments and maintenance on Tiangong space station
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesShenzhou-18 crew members Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu conduct experiments and maintenance aboard the Tiangong space station in footage released on Aug. 25, 2024. Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)
-
08:05
Blastoff! India launches Earth-observing satellite atop SSLV rocket
Added 93 Views / 0 LikesIndia's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) launched the EOS-08 satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Aug. 15, 2024 at 11:47 p.m. EDT (0347 GMT or 9:17 a.m. India Standard Time on Aug. 16). Full Story: https://www.space.com/india-eos-08-launch-ss