Universe
2026 is poised to be an exciting year for space exploration
In 2026, astronauts will travel around the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era, powerful new space telescopes will prepare to survey billions of galaxies, and multiple nations will launch missions aimed at finding habitable worlds, water on the Moon and clues to how our solar system formed. Together, these launches will mark …
What is below Earth, since space is present in every direction?
“What is below Earth, since space is present in ever direction?” — Purvi, age 17, India If you’ve seen illustrations or models of the solar system, maybe you noticed that all the planets orbit the Sun in more or less the same plane, traveling in the same direction. But what is above and below that …
How are dark matter and antimatter different?
“What is dark matter and what is antimatter? Are they the same or different?” — Namrata, age 13, Ghaziabad, India Imagine an epic video game with your favorite hero as a character. Another character is a mirror-image twin who shows up occasionally, exploding everything they touch. And, to add an extra level of difficulty, the …
Why isn’t there any sound in space?
“How far can sound travel through space, since it’s so empty? Is there an echo in space?” — Jasmine, age 14, Everson, Washington In space, no one can hear you scream. You may have heard this saying. It’s the tagline from the famous 1979 science fiction movie “Alien.” It’s a scary thought, but is it …
What is the universe expanding into if it’s already infinite?
“What is the universe expanding into if it’s already infinite?” — Mael, age 10, Missoula, Montana When you bake a loaf of bread or a batch of muffins, you put the dough into a pan. As the dough bakes in the oven, it expands into the baking pan. Any chocolate chips or blueberries in the …
How could an explosive Big Bang be the birth of our universe?
“How can a Big Bang have been the start of the universe, since intense explosions destroy everything?” — Tristan S., age 8, Newark, Delaware Pretend you’re a perfectly flat chess piece in a game of chess on a perfectly flat and humongous chessboard. One day you look around and ask: How did I get here? …
What is space made of? Explaining the components from radiation to dark matter
“What is space made of – what does gravity actually bend?” — Phil, age 12, Birmingham What comes to mind when you think of space? Imagine a friend boasting about a spacious building, stadium or museum they recently visited. Do you envision the building as vast and expansive? Is it simply very large, or does …
Does outer space end – or go on forever?
“What is beyond outer space?” — Siah, age 11, Fremont, California Right above you is the sky – or as scientists would call it, the atmosphere. It extends about 20 miles (32 kilometers) above the Earth. Floating around the atmosphere is a mixture of molecules – tiny bits of air so small you take in …
Twinkling star reveals the secrets of plasma structures in our cosmic neighbourhood
With the most powerful radio telescope in the southern hemisphere, we have observed a twinkling star and discovered an abundance of mysterious plasma structures in our cosmic neighbourhood. The plasma structures we see are variations in density or turbulence, akin to interstellar cyclones stirred up by energetic events in the galaxy. The study, earlier this …
When you wish upon a star, is it already dead?
Deep in the Chilean Desert, astronomers witness a skyscape like few others on Earth. Credit: ESO/Luis Calçada/Herbert Zodet When you wish upon a star, Jiminy Cricket told us, your dreams come true. But according to an idea doing the rounds on social media, that may not be the case: According to astronomy, when you wish …