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)
-
08:50
Blastoff! SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites in early morning, nails landing
Added 28 Views / 0 LikesA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 23 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on April 5, 2024 at 5:12 a.m. ET. Credit: SpaceX
-
02:08
2024 solar eclipse - Not in the path of totality? NASA's tips
Added 44 Views / 0 LikesIf you're not in the path of totality, you can still experience a partial solar eclipse. NASA explains what to expect. Find all the information on the April 8 eclipse here!: https://www.space.com/41552-total-solar-eclipse-2024-guide.htmlWARNING: People sh
-
04:39
Space to Ground: Totality: April 05, 2024
Added 37 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
-
02:23
Starship | Third Flight Test
Added 46 Views / 0 LikesOn March 14, 2024, Starship successfully lifted off at 8:25 a.m. CT from Starbase in Texas and went on to accomplish several major milestones and firsts.Starship's six second stage Raptor engines all started successfully and powered the vehicle to its exp
-
02:01
NASA Astronauts Talk about the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
Added 37 Views / 0 LikesNASA astronauts Jeanette Epps and Tracy C. Dyson talk about the April 8 total solar eclipse and their vantage point from the orbital outpost soaring 260 miles above the Earth. Watch the #eclipse live... https://go.nasa.gov/Eclipse2024Live
-
04:20
2024 total solar eclipse! NASA jets to study sun's corona
Added 45 Views / 0 LikesNASA will use WB-57 jets to study the Sun's corona during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Find all the information on the eclipse here!: https://www.space.com/41552-total-solar-eclipse-2024-guide.htmlWARNING: People should always use protective
-
01:46
Astrolab's Lunar Terrain Vehicle! Next-gen moon roving
Added 40 Views / 0 LikesThe Venturi Astrolab Lunar Terrain Vehicle has been selected by NASA for use by Artemis astronauts. [Full Story](https://www.space.com/nasa-lunar-terrain-vehicle-artemis-moon-rover-contracts)Credit: Astrolab
-
01:41
NASA Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle (Official NASA Trailer)
Added 42 Views / 0 LikesNASA hosted a news conference from the Johnson Space Center in Houston April 3, 2024 to announce the companies selected to move forward in the development of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle under the LTVS (Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services) contract. The award lev
-
01:01
Lunar Outpost's lunar terrain vehicle unveiled! Next-gen moon roving
Added 45 Views / 0 LikesLunar Outpost has unveiled the Lunar Dawn lunar terrain vehicle. Selected by NASA for Artemis astronaut: https://www.space.com/nasa-lunar-terrain-vehicle-artemis-moon-rover-contractsCredit: Lockheed Martin
-
01:07
James Webb Space Telescope views of starburst galaxy M82 are stunning
Added 59 Views / 0 LikesThe James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument captured views of starburst galaxy M82 in short and long wavelengths. Credit: Space.com | NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Bolatto (UMD), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb) | edited by [Steve Spaleta]
-
00:30
Webb's views of M82 (pan video)
Added 39 Views / 0 LikesThe NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has set its sights on the starburst galaxy Messier 82 (M82), a small but mighty environment that features rapid star formation. By looking closer with Webb’s sensitive infrared capabilities, a team of scientists
-
00:30
Webb's views of M82 (transition video)
Added 39 Views / 0 LikesThe NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has set its sights on the starburst galaxy Messier 82 (M82), a small but mighty environment that features rapid star formation. By looking closer with Webb’s sensitive infrared capabilities, a team of scientists
-
01:48
William Shatner looks forward to solar eclipse in Bloomington, Indiana
Added 47 Views / 0 LikesWilliam Shatner spoke with Space.com and local Indiana media about the upcoming April 8 total solar eclipse and his performance at Indiana University's Hoosier Cosmic Celebration.
-
04:45
RED ALERT! Tsunami Watch after shallow 7.5 Magnitude Earthquake near Taiwan! Big STORMS USA!
Added 36 Views / 0 LikesStay cool.God bless everyone,Thttps://www.paypal.me/THORnewshttps://venmo.com/TEric-Lewison$THORnews on CashApphttps://www.patreon.com/thornews
-
01:21
Brilliant fireball over California may have been re-entry of Chinese space junk
Added 46 Views / 0 LikesSeveral reports of a brilliant fireball over California were submitted to the American Meteor Society on April 2, 2024. In a post on X, astronomer Jonathan McDowell says it was the "reentry of the Shenzhou 15 orbital module." Credit: Space.com | Schele &
-
04:10
Planets, Comet 12P and the total solar eclipse in April 2024 skywatching
Added 43 Views / 0 LikesMars, Jupiter, Saturn and Comet 12P are great skywatching targets this month. The 2024 total solar eclipse is occurring on April 8, learn what to look for if your not in the path of totality. Night sky: What you can see this month: https://www.space.com/1
-
00:30
Pan video: Arp 72
Added 35 Views / 0 LikesThis image features Arp 72, a very selective galaxy group that only includes two interacting galaxies: NGC 5996 (the large spiral galaxy) and NGC 5994 (its smaller companion, in the lower left of the image). Both galaxies lie approximately 160 million lig
-
02:19
2024 total solar eclipse - NASA astronauts explains how to watch
Added 41 Views / 0 LikesHere are some 2024 total solar eclipse view tips from NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, Woody Hoburg, Frank Rubio and Sultan Alneyadi. Find all the information on the April 8 eclipse here!: https://www.space.com/41552-total-solar-eclipse-2024-guide.htmlWARNI
-
08:59
SpaceX launches Starlink batch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, nails landing
Added 40 Views / 0 LikesA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 22 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on April 2, 2024. [Full Story](https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-launch-group-7-18)The launch was the 32nd Falcon 9 flight of 2024, and the 21st de
-
05:17
RED ALERT! Big STORMS Today & Tomorrow & then a Nor'Easter thingy! + Mercury RETROgrade, yo.
Added 37 Views / 0 LikesYou are so cool.God bless everyone,Thttps://www.paypal.me/THORnewshttps://venmo.com/TEric-Lewison$THORnews on CashApphttps://www.patreon.com/thornews