Curious ElfOur Universe is weird; let us all face it. In fact, our very own blue ball represents the tiniest fraction of the cosmic phenomena. Every now and then, astronomers are turning up new surprises. One day there is news of researchers receiving transitory radio signals. And, the next moment, there is news of mysterious objects flashing in the space. The sci-fi lover residing in us gets thrilled, thinking that alien interlopers may secretly be entering our System. However, the truth is far more gripping than we would ever think. Are you curious to find out about the weirdo universe? Well then, let us get right into it. In the blog below, we present to you a catalog of objects that have sent cosmologists, astrophysicists, and astronomers into a tizzy. Read on.
THE GINORMOUS GALAXIES
A massive bang, most precisely the Big Bang, created the Universe some 13.8 billion years ago. But, did you know that since then, it has been expanding? In fact, the expansion process is ongoing. If you have ever inflated a balloon, you know what we are talking about. Just like the balloon, the Universe is stretching out in all directions. A galaxy is this vast collection of stars that is populating our ever-expanding Universe. But, do you think we can count the galaxies? Well, it’s like counting your hair, NO! We cannot! This galaxy or billions of galaxies are one of the numerous objects that are dashing across space. As per the Hubble Telescope’s observations, the small spot could contain as many as thousands of galaxies. If reports from experts are to be believed, then there can be 100-200 billion galaxies moving as objects.
Quaint Quasars
There is a monster that every galaxy hosts at its core – a super enormous black hole, which is billion times the sun’s size. According to several scientists, these objects form a galaxy’s structure. What’s more, some of them are the Universe’s most energetic objects that are continually whipping up gas, dust, and stars. These whipped-up gas, dust, and stars transform into glowing disks of accretion. They emit powerful radiation in the space while consuming all matter surrounding them. Speak of monsters and quasars are what come to an astronomer’s mind. Finding them is painstaking, but one of the objects hurtling around in space is a quasar. Ask any astronomer mining digital images from a telescope each day; he/she will tell you about this beast.
Sparkling stars
Just like there are billions of galaxies existing in the Universe, there are billions of stars. These giant luminous plasma spheres have planets circling them. Have you gazed at the night sky? Ever? Don’t you just love the distant stars glinting like faint lights? We all do! These stars move around the galaxy’s center. According to recent news, astronomers stumbled upon a new spurt of stars. This new cluster has been named the Nyx (the Night Goddess in Greek).
The intriguing interstellar gas clouds
Almost 99 percent of the ISM (interstellar medium) exists in a gaseous state. These clouds are gas clouds found in the proximity of a hot star that heats its gas to about ten thousand Kelvin. These nebulae or glowing clouds not just emit fluorescent lights but move about the space. If all these while you imagined the outer space to be vacuum outright, think again! That is because the interstellar gas clouds are pretty much visible through a telescope. Thinly, dispersed amidst stars, these clouds fill spaces between them.
Astounding asteroids
The rocky, airless, and small worlds revolving around the sun are the asteroids. They form a part of the space rubble and can be found moving out and about the space. The surface of an asteroid heats up during the day but cools down at night. Thus, they give off radiation that bears resemblance to a mini thruster. Did you know that an icy space rock chunk almost the size of the tall Empire state building will pass by our planet? No, there is no danger this time. But, this Aten asteroid called Apophis comes near the earth every ten years. This time it is approaching the closest to our plant on 5th March 2021.
Magic is what the Universe is made of
Could another cosmic world be sneaking in our midst? Astronomers are always on the lookout. Well, so are we! Among 700 million objects moving in space, hope you liked the five handpicked by us. Wait till we come out with a continuation of this blog. Until then, wishing you wide eyes and clear skies!
