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)
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00:55
'It's a Dangerous Business' - NASA Still Confident in Soyuz Spacecraft
Added 449 Views / 0 LikesSpace.com's Mike Wall asks NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman about the difficulties of spaceflight during a NASA press conference about the Soyuz launch abort that occurred on Oct. 11, 2018. -- Full Story on the Launch Abort on Space.com: https://www.space.com/
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01:41
'JEDI' Aboard NASA's Juno Probe To Jupiter | Video
Added 752 Views / 0 Likes'JEDI' Aboard NASA's Juno Probe To Jupiter | Video
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01:36
'Jellyfish' Galaxies Feed Supermassive Black Holes
Added 713 Views / 0 Likes'Jellyfish' Galaxies Feed Supermassive Black Holes
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03:49
'Just wow!' Blue Origin NS-20 post-flight crew reactions
Added 222 Views / 0 LikesBlue Origin NS-20 crewmembers Jim Kitchen, Dr. George Nield, and Marty Allen give their impression of their New Shepard flight to space. Full Story: https://www.space.com/blue-origin-space-tourism-launch-ns-20Credit: Blue Origin
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01:18
'Killer' Galaxy Shows Scars, But Companion is Unscathed | Video
Added 761 Views / 0 Likes'Rapacious' Galaxy NGC 1316 has devoured many other galaxies during its violent history. Fossils of this mayhem can be seen in new imagery from ESO's La Silla Observatory. In comparison, galaxy NGC 1317's spiral arms are sound.
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03:50
'Kilonova' from Neutron Star Merger Observed by Multiple ESO Telescopes
Added 848 Views / 0 Likes'Kilonova' from Neutron Star Merger Observed by Multiple ESO Telescopes
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01:36
'Life-size' Chinese space station replica unveiled at Zhuhai Airshow 2022
Added 191 Views / 0 LikesThe 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Zhuhai Airshow 2022, features a full-size replica of the Tiangong space station. Watch live coverage of the airshow tonight: https://youtu.be/DjAYnNf4btYCredit: China Central Te
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01:36
'Life-size' Chinese space station replica unveiled at Zhuhai Airshow 2022
Added 189 Views / 0 LikesThe 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Zhuhai Airshow 2022, features a full-size replica of the Tiangong space station. Watch live coverage of the airshow tonight: https://youtu.be/DjAYnNf4btYCredit: China Central Te
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04:21
'Listening To The Planets' To Understand Our Changing Climate | Video
Added 773 Views / 0 Likes'Listening To The Planets' To Understand Our Changing Climate | Video
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01:26
'Little Earthy' Zero-G Indicator Will Come Home with SpaceX Demo-2 Crew
Added 400 Views / 0 LikesNASA astronaut Bob Behnken talks about 'Little Earthy' becoming a crew member of the International Space Station. The 'Celestial Buddies' plush Earth will return to Earth with the crew of the Demo-2 flight, which includes Behnken.Credit: NASA
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02:41
'Lonely' galaxy that 'pulled in' all its neighbors observed by Chandra
Added 158 Views / 0 LikesThe Chandra X-ray Observatory captured imagery of a galaxy that "appears to have pulled in and assimilated all of its former companion galaxies." according to NASA. Galaxy 3C297 is 9.2 billion light-years away and harbors a quasar. Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hob
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01:05
'Luxury Space Hotel' Unveiled by Startup
Added 512 Views / 0 LikesOrion Span has ambitious plans to launch "Aurora Station" in 2021 and be able to accommodate guests at 200 miles above Earth in 2022. -- Read more: https://www.space.com/40207-space-hotel-launch-2021-aurora-station.html Credit: Space.com / visualizations
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01:28
'Magnificent' Spiral Galaxy Captured by Very Large Telescope
Added 715 Views / 0 Likes'Magnificent' Spiral Galaxy Captured by Very Large Telescope
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01:03
'Mars Chopper' concept revealed by NASA for Red Planet exploration
Added 53 Views / 0 LikesNASA has revealed a concept for the next generation of flight on the Red Planet, the "Mars Chopper.""In about a week, you could cover the entire distance that perseverance has driven. So it's really a game changer when it comes to exploration and discover
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01:06
'Mars-Crosser' asteroid discovered by schoolgirls - See its orbit in animation
Added 321 Views / 0 LikesAsteroid 2020 OE6 was discovered by two Indian schoolgirls named Radhika Lakhani and Vaidehi Vekariya. This orbit animation of the space rock spans the next 5 years. -- Full Story (https://www.space.com/indian-schoolgirls-discover-mars-crosser-asteroid.ht
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04:52
'Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet' Explores Psychological Issues, More | Video
Added 648 Views / 0 Likes'Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet' Explores Psychological Issues, More | Video
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03:56
'MAVEN Is Now In Mars Orbit' - Mission Control Video
Added 781 Views / 0 Likes'MAVEN Is Now In Mars Orbit' - Mission Control Video
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04:13
'Meteor Smoke' Clouds Linked To Weather In Opposite Hemispheres | Video
Added 662 Views / 0 LikesNoctilucent clouds are seeded by meteorites burning up in the atmosphere and form at Earth's polar regions. Researchers have found correlations with the appearance of these clouds and Earth's climate.
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03:58
'Mini-Space Shuttle' Concept - Launch To Landing | Animated Video
Added 831 Views / 0 LikesSierra Nevada's Dream Chaser is one of three programs seeded by NASA for commercial crew transport to Space Station. Now in early testing, this reusable vehicle's aerodynamic shape is a descendant of NASA's X-24A lifting body flown from 1969 to 1971.
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04:13
'Most Precise' Pulsar Size Measurement to Date Revealed
Added 405 Views / 0 LikesA study of Pulsar J0030+0451 using the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) has revealed the "most precise and reliable size measurements of a pulsar to date," according to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Full Story: https://www.space.co