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)
-
02:06
Spiral galaxy NGC 2566 in stunning JWST and Hubble views - See in 4K
Added 62 Views / 0 LikesThe James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope have captured amazing views of spiral galaxy NGC 2566. Credit: Space.com | ESA, NASA & CSA / Hubble /Webb, A. Leroy, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb), D. Thilker | edited by Steve Spaleta (https://www.instag
-
08:42
Blastoff! SpaceX launches Bandwagon-2 rideshare mission, nails landing in California
Added 62 Views / 0 LikesA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 30 Bandwagon-2 rideshare mission, satellites from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Dec. 21, 2024 at 6:34 a.m. EDT (1134 GMT; 3:34 a.m. local California time). Bandwagon-2 included payloads for South Korea's Age
-
04:28
See the Moon Phases in 2025 - Full-year time-lapse
Added 62 Views / 0 LikesWatch the moon phases and libration for 2025, as seen from Earth's Northern Hemisphere, in this time-lapsed animation that is set at hourly intervals. [What is the moon phase today?](https://www.space.com/18880-moon-phases.html)[Moon Facts: Fun Informatio
-
02:34
Martian New Year tracked by NASA - Avalanches, exploding jets and more!
Added 62 Views / 0 LikesNew Years day on Mars occurs in November. NASA explains the spring time changes on the Red Planet. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
-
04:19
Space to Ground: Spacewalk 273: Jan. 17, 2025
Added 62 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
-
Watch live! NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 with Starliner astronauts return to Earth
Added 62 Views / 0 LikesButch Wilmore and Suni Williams are heading back to Earth after an unexpectedly long and eventful space mission, and you can watch their homecoming live.Wilmore, Williams, fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov departed the Inte
-
01:14
China test fires rocket engines, including a new hydrogen-oxygen engine
Added 61 Views / 0 LikesThe Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology in China "conducted a test on four types of engines, including a new hydrogen-oxygen engine," according to China Central Television. Credit: Space.com | footage courtesy: China Central Television (CCTV) | edi
-
09:47
Blastoff! SpaceX launches next-gen US spy satellites from California, nails landing
Added 61 Views / 0 LikesA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the NROL-149 for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Dec. 17, 2024 at 8:19 a.m. EST (1319 GMT; 5:19 a.m. local California time). Full Story: https://www.space.com/space-exploration
-
01:09
Brilliant fireball lights up skies over Indiana
Added 61 Views / 0 LikesThe American Meteor Society recieved several reports of fireball in the skies over several cities in Indiana on Oct. 21, 2024. Credit: Space.com | footage courtesy: Mark, Mel Uberto, Brittany Lewis, Brett Turner, CarmelBakers | edited by [Steve Spaleta](h
-
09:03
Blastoff! SpaceX launches 2nd Starlink batch of 2025, nails landing
Added 61 Views / 0 LikesA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 8, 2025 at 10:27 a.m. EST (1527 GMT).Credit: SpaceX
-
01:00
Sun blasts strong M-class flare! Spacecraft captures fireworks
Added 61 Views / 0 LikesSunspot AR4046 blasted a M5.6-class solar flare on April 1, 2025. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the fireworks. Footage courtesy: NASA / SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, helioviewer.org
-
03:29
When will USA & Global Markets Calm down?
Added 61 Views / 0 Likesi take some uneducated guesses.God bless everyone,stay coolThttps://www.paypal.me/THORnewshttps://venmo.com/TEric-Lewisonhttps://www.patreon.com/thornews
-
08:58
Blastoff! SpaceX launches next-gen US spy satellites from California, nails landing
Added 60 Views / 0 LikesA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the NROL-153 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Jan. 10, 2024 at 10:53 p.m. EST (7:53 p.m. local California time). Full Story: https://www.space.com/space-explora
-
01:37
China's Shenzhou 19 crew conducts spacewalk outside Tiangong space station
Added 60 Views / 0 LikesChinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong conducted a spacewalk outside the Tiangong Space Station on Dec. 18, 2024. Their tasks includes the "installation of the space station's debris protection device and inspection of extravehicular equipment," a
-
03:32
Planets and Quantrantid meteors in Jan. 2025 skywatching guide
Added 60 Views / 0 LikesSee Saturn, Venus and Mars at opposition this month. Also, learn about the Quantrantid meteor shower. Night sky: What you can see this month: https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html)Best night sky events this month - stargazing maps: https://www.space.
-
01:09
Blue Origin preps New Glenn rocket for first-ever launch
Added 60 Views / 0 LikesBlue Origin's New Glenn rocket is scheduled to launch for the first time no earlier than Jan.10, 2025. Credit: Space.com | footage courtesy: Blue Origin | edited by Steve Spaleta (https://x.com/stevespaleta/)
-
08:58
Blastoff! SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites from Florida, nails landing
Added 60 Views / 0 LikesA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 13, 2024 at 11:47 a.m. ET. Credit: SpaceX
-
02:57
Oprah Winfrey on-hand to support Gayle King's Blue Origin launch to space
Added 60 Views / 0 LikesGayle KIng's long-time friend Oprah Winfrey was on-hand to support her Blue Origin launch to suborbital space. Credit: Blue Origin
-
10:37
Blastoff! SpaceX launches SES O3b mPOWER mission from Florida, nails landing
Added 59 Views / 0 LikesA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the SES O3b mPOWER mission from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 17, 2024. Credit: SpaceX
-
00:30
Pan: MCG+05-31-045
Added 59 Views / 0 LikesPreviously the Hubble Picture of the Week series has featured a jewel in the queen’s hair — a spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, named for the hair of the historical Egyptian queen. However, that galaxy is only one of many known in this co