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)
-
01:06
Mid-Atlantic Has A White St. Patrick's Day | Video
Added 675 Views / 0 LikesThis animation of NOAA's GOES satellite data shows the progression of another major winter storm over the U.S. Mid-Atlantic on March 16 and 17.
-
04:13
Europa May Harbor Simple Life Forms | Video
Added 675 Views / 0 LikesEuropa May Harbor Simple Life Forms | Video
-
1:09:50
The Total* History of dwarf planet Ceres
Added 675 Views / 0 LikesThe Total* History of dwarf planet Ceres
-
01:28
New Horizons’ Pluto Imagery Will Amaze Us | Video
Added 675 Views / 0 LikesNew Horizons’ Pluto Imagery Will Amaze Us | Video
-
07:08
Vladmir Putin is Missing WTF? Where is Putin?
Added 675 Views / 0 LikesVladmir Putin is Missing WTF? Where is Putin?
-
01:09
Flashback! Russian Cargo Ship Re-Entry Captured By ISS Crew | Video
Added 675 Views / 0 LikesFlashback! Russian Cargo Ship Re-Entry Captured By ISS Crew | Video
-
02:15
Star Trek - Starship Enterprise Pizza Cutter | Unboxing Video
Added 675 Views / 0 LikesStar Trek - Starship Enterprise Pizza Cutter | Unboxing Video
-
06:44
Nazi Train with Cursed Nazi Gold may have been discovered.
Added 675 Views / 0 LikesNazi Train with Cursed Nazi Gold may have been discovered.
-
04:22
James Webb Telescope's Marvelous Telescope Element Is Complete | Video
Added 675 Views / 0 LikesJames Webb Telescope's Marvelous Telescope Element Is Complete | Video
-
01:12
Swirling Auroras Over Swedish Mountains Seen For 2 Weeks | Video
Added 674 Views / 0 LikesChad Blakley (lightsoverlapland.com) captured stunning imagery of the Northern Lights on February 18th, 2013. Powerful Auroras have filled the skies above Abisko National Park for 13 straight nights. This time-lapse shows the auroras on Day 13.
-
02:50
Asteroid To Block Light From A Star - How To See It | Video
Added 674 Views / 0 LikesAsteroid 163 Erigone will occult the star Regulus on March 20th, 2014 at 2:06am ET and can be seen in part of the Northeast United States.
-
01:59
Solar Flare vs. CME - Whats The Difference? | Video
Added 674 Views / 0 LikesSolar Flare vs. CME - Whats The Difference? | Video
-
01:37
Hubble Catches Stars Blowing Hot Gas Bubbles and Jets | Video
Added 674 Views / 0 LikesHubble Catches Stars Blowing Hot Gas Bubbles and Jets | Video
-
00:51
Comet Siding Spring Imaged By Mars Orbiter | Video
Added 674 Views / 0 LikesComet Siding Spring Imaged By Mars Orbiter | Video
-
02:44
Ancient Mars’ Water Action Visualized From Orbiter | Video
Added 674 Views / 0 LikesAncient Mars’ Water Action Visualized From Orbiter | Video
-
07:23
NASA discovers an illegal Planet made of Marijuana!
Added 674 Views / 0 LikesNASA discovers an illegal Planet made of Marijuana!
-
05:34
Scientists to unlock the Secrets of the Pyramids with Cosmic Rays
Added 674 Views / 0 LikesScientists to unlock the Secrets of the Pyramids with Cosmic Rays
-
05:48
Multiple Views of big strange Sun Diving Comet
Added 674 Views / 0 LikesMultiple Views of big strange Sun Diving Comet
-
01:02
Mercury Transit 2016 - Spacecraft View In Different Wavelength | Video
Added 674 Views / 0 LikesMercury Transit 2016 - Spacecraft View In Different Wavelength | Video