Outer Space
OK, So I Finally Watched Avatar!
I have to get this off my chest….. I finally watched Avatar this past weekend. I never went to the theater. I never saw it in 3D. Instead, I waited for it to come out on DVD and watched it at home. I know what you’re thinking – that I’m probably the last one on the planet to see it AND that I missed out on all the awesomeness that the film had to offer on the 3D big screen.
What is Interstellar Space – Just Space Between the Stars?
What is Interstellar Space?
We humans love to categorize things. The physical space between objects in the universe is no exception! Let’s start with the smallest of spacely categories – interplanetary space. Interplanetary space is the area between planets in the solar system. Moving up on the scale is interstellar space or the area between stars within the same galaxy. Finally, the largest physical space is the area between galaxies themselves which is called intergalactic space!
Space Dust: More than Just a Cloud of Gas and Dust
A Collection of Space Dust
Space dust, also known as cosmic dust, is a collection matter ranging from a few molecules to around .1 mm in size. While this dust was once considered by astronomers to simply be an annoying obstruction for those trying to observe objects in outer space, further research has shown that it is actually a key component to various astrophysical processes.
Colliding Galaxies: Can the Milky Way Galaxy Collide with Andromeda?
This is one of those things that’s hard to get your head around. Imagine a collision between two objects whose size is measured in light years! Despite the fact that the universe is vast – approximately 93 billion light years across, galaxies still manage to run into one another.
Outer Space is Deep, Astronomical, and Covers a Vast Distance
The more I think about it, the more I realize that outer space is huge. If you look up at the sky at night, you will see many stars (assuming it isn’t cloudy). Each one of those stars in outer space can potentially have 1 or more planets around it. Some semi-quick math tells you that even if there were only 1,000 stars in outer space (I am trying to utilize a realistic number), and each star had only 1 planet nearby, there are potentially 1,000 other planets in the entire universe!