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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04:29
Liftoff! SpaceX launches GPS III satellite for Space Force
Added 302 Views / 0 LikesA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the GPS III satellite for the United States Space Force on June 30, 2020 from Launch Complex 40 of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.Credit: SpaceX
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04:16
Liftoff! SpaceX Launches NASA TESS Planet Finder Mission
Added 442 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission was launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 18, 2018. -- NASA's TESS Satellite Will Supercharge Search for Nearby, Earth-Like Worlds: https://www.
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04:19
Liftoff! SpaceX Launches Telstar 18 VANTAGE Communication Satellite
Added 476 Views / 0 LikesA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Telstar 18 VANTAGE sateliite on Sept. 10, 2018 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.Credit: SpaceX
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02:07
Liftoff! SpaceX Launches Two Communications Satellites | Video
Added 640 Views / 0 LikesLiftoff! SpaceX Launches Two Communications Satellites | Video
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01:29
Light blast from black hole 'spagettifying' a star spotted by ESO
Added 272 Views / 0 LikesA burst of light from tidal disruption event AT 2019qiz, located in the constellation of Eridanus, has been detected using European Southern Observatory telescopes. A star is being devoured by a black hole in the region. Credit: ESO
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01:25
Lightning and 'Probably Satellites' Seen from Space Station
Added 616 Views / 0 LikesLightning and 'Probably Satellites' Seen from Space Station
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18:32
Lightning Strikes the Bayou - I plan to go to the thingy
Added 475 Views / 0 LikesLightning Strikes the Bayou - I plan to go to the thingy
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00:40
Lightning, Milky Way, satellites & aurora in stunning ISS cupola time-lapse
Added 182 Views / 0 LikesSee an amazing time-lapse captured from the cupola aboard the International Space Station. "In addition to thunderstorms, you can see city lights, the Milky Way, satellites, and even a bit of aurora at the end," according to a tweet by astronaut Megan McA
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11:51
LIGO's Gravitational Waves Discovery Enthusiastically Explained By Space Reporter
Added 664 Views / 0 LikesLIGO's Gravitational Waves Discovery Enthusiastically Explained By Space Reporter
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20:03
LIGO, A Passion for Understanding | a film by Kai Staats
Added 719 Views / 0 LikesUntil now, we've been deaf to our Universe. We're about to turn on our ears: http://www.space.com/25494-ligo-documentary-watch-live.html More than 900 people are working to achieve what Einstein thought impossible: Detection of gravitational waves from ca
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02:03
LIGO, A Passion for Understanding | Indie Film Trailer
Added 621 Views / 0 LikesThe Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory could be as significant an innovation as the telescope. This story of passionate creative researchers striving to understand the fabric of our Universe premieres Tuesday April 15 at Space.com.
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02:03
Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer Overview
Added 40 Views / 0 LikesNic Stoffle, science and operations lead for the Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS), provides an overview of the instrument. LETS launched aboard Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One flight on Jan. 8 as part of a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (C
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01:00
LinkSpace's Rocket Prototype Launches and Lands in 3rd Test - Raw Video
Added 332 Views / 0 LikesChina's LinkSpace Aerospace Technology Group reusable rocket prototype (T5 vehicle) climbed to 985 feet (300.4 meters) in its latest test flight on Aug. 10, 2019. -- Story: LinkSpace Reusable Rocket Prototype Makes Its Highest Flight Yet, and Lands!: http
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01:05
Liquid Ping Pong in Space - RED 4K
Added 605 Views / 0 LikesLiquid Ping Pong in Space - RED 4K
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01:17
Listen In! Saturn Probe Hit with Very Few Particles in Daring Dive
Added 623 Views / 0 LikesListen In! Saturn Probe Hit with Very Few Particles in Daring Dive
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01:59
Listen to a meteor slam into Mars, see the aftermath!
Added 146 Views / 0 LikesNASA Insight mission's seismometer data of a meteor slamming into Mars has been converted into sound. The meteor broke into multiple pieces during its entry into Mars atmosphere and created at least three craters which were imaged by NASA's Mars Reconnais
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02:41
Listen to a star cluster, supernova and galaxy in soothing sonification
Added 165 Views / 0 LikesImagery of the Westerlund 2 star cluster, Tycho supernova and M87 galaxy have been sonified by the SYSTEM Sounds. Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida) | Mash mix: Space.com