Humans have always had a craving for the unknown. Space - so close and so far - is infinity, in the study of which we have taken, perhaps, half a step. What awaits us tomorrow: an asteroid or terraforming of Mars? What will NASA do: send the first man to Mercury or send him back to the future? Follow the most interesting things happening outside the stratosphere. When the Earth is explored in its entirety, a person will not get bored: he will have space.
Virtually all space equipment costs millions of dollars and is disposable - which is why companies and SpaceX have taken seriously building reusable rockets and made them a reality. The efforts of the European Space Agency ESA are directed in the same direction, which in in general terms outlined a reusable capsule that can deliver to Earth orbit different types cargo, safely return to Earth and be reused.
Deputy head of the aerospace agency for the development of lunar projects Mark Sirangelo, appointed to this position just a few weeks ago (in April), was fired and in this moment is handing over cases, the press service of the head of department reports, citing a statement by NASA Director Jim Bridenstine.
As we open up more and more space, we dream of colonizing other planets and meeting other life forms. For generations, the cosmos has fired our imaginations and even ruled our lives. We present to your attention some new and amazing discoveries related to space.
Planets like Earth
In 2013, astronomers confirmed the existence of about 20 billion exoplanets in our galaxy alone. Milky Way, which are similar to the Earth and can contain life. Given the presence of billions of galaxies in the universe, there could be billions upon billions of planets that are theoretically habitable.
Pluto is still a planet
In 2006, amateur astronomers were shocked by the news that Pluto had been "downgraded" to dwarf planet. Those who refused to accept this fact were rewarded in 2015 when spacecraft New Horizons found that Pluto is still more of a planet. Its gravity is strong enough to hold onto the atmosphere and deflect charged particles from the solar wind.
Collision of golden stars
2013 has been a fantastic year for astronomy. Astronomers have discovered a collision between two stars, during which an incredible amount of gold was formed, weighing many times the mass of our moon.
Tsunami on Mars
Scientists recently shared a discovery that has stunned the minds of many in the space community: they provided evidence that once large tsunamis may have altered the Martian landscape. Two meteorite impacts caused huge tidal waves which rose to a height of about 50 meters!
Planet Godzilla
Our planet is one of the largest rocky planets, but in 2014 scientists discovered a planet 2 times larger and 17 times heavier than Earth. Although planets of this size were considered gas giants, this planet, which was named Kepler10c, is remarkably similar to ours. She was also given the nickname "Godzilla".
Gravitational waves
Back in 1916, Albert Einstein announced the existence of gravitational waves, nearly a hundred years before scientists confirmed their existence. The world of science was delighted with the discovery made in 2015. Space-time can pulsate like still water in a pond when a stone is thrown into it.
Formation of mountains on a volcanic satellite
New research has shown how Jupiter's volcanic moon Io forms mountains. Although mountains on Earth form in long chains, Io's mountains are mostly solitary. On this satellite, volcanic activity is so great that a 13-centimeter layer of molten lava covers its surface every 10 years. Given such a rapid rate of eruptions, scientists have concluded that the colossal pressure on the core of Io is causing faults that rise to the surface to “release” excess pressure.
New ring of Saturn
Astronomers have recently discovered a huge new ring around Saturn. It is located 3.7 - 11.1 million kilometers from the surface of the planet and rotates in the opposite direction compared to other rings. The new ring is so sparse it could fit a billion Earths. Since the ring is quite cold, approximately minus 196 degrees Celsius, it has only recently been discovered with an infrared telescope.
The most old star in the Universe
A few hundred million years is a tiny fraction of time for the universe, since it is 14 billion years old. The oldest star known to people- SMSS J031300.36-670839.3. Its age is about 13.6 billion years.
Oxygen in space
Oxygen, of course, is an extremely reactive gas, which leads to its interaction with other elements that exist in the universe. The discovery of molecular oxygen - the same species that humans breathe - in the atmosphere of the infamous comet 67P deepened people's knowledge of cosmic gases and raised the hope that oxygen could exist in other parts of the universe, in a form that humans could use.
hyperactive galaxy
In 2008, a galaxy was discovered 12.2 billion light-years from Earth, in which stars form extremely rapidly. In our Milky Way new star is born, on average, every 36 days, in a galaxy called "Baby Boom", a new star - every 2 hours.
The coldest place in the universe
The coldest place in the Universe is the Boomerang Nebula, where the temperature is close to absolute zero. This nebula glows bright blue due to light reflecting off its dust.
smallest planet
The smallest planet to date was discovered in 2013. Its name is Kepler-37b. It is slightly larger than the Moon, but 3 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Due to this, on its surface the temperature is 425 degrees Celsius.
Stars dying prematurely
In 2016, some stars in an active star-forming region called the Carina Nebula were found to be dying prematurely. About half of the stars in this place skip the red giant stage in their development, thereby reducing their life cycle for millions of years. It is not known what causes this effect, but it has only been seen in sodium-rich or oxygen-poor stars.
A new place for human life
Some scientists believe that in order to detect life, it is necessary to pay attention to the satellites of other planets. For example, passing by Jupiter, its icy moon Europa "shoots" into the air 6,800 kg of water per second from geysers on its south pole. Scientists recently developed a project to analyze the content of this water before it falls back to the surface of the planet. Such studies could help determine whether life exists on Europa.
giant diamond star
BPM 37093, nicknamed "Lucy", is a white dwarf star located approximately 20 light-years from Earth. It is noteworthy that it is a giant diamond the size of the moon. Jewelers would value it at 10 decillion carats (a decillion is 1060).
The real ninth planet
Although Pluto was "demoted", scientists believe that there may be a huge planet orbiting the Sun behind Pluto. Using mathematical laws, scientists have determined that a planet the size of Neptune must rotate in a distant orbit, but it has not yet been found.
vacuum noise
In September 2013, NASA released audio recordings of plasma waves, the first sounds ever recorded in interstellar space.
The brightest supernova
Discovered in 2015, ASASSN-15lh is the brightest supernova. She shines 570 billion times brighter than the sun. Stranger still, scientists have found that the supernova's activity rose for a second time about two months after the star passed its peak brightness.
asteroid with rings
Although large gas giants common to have orbital ring systems, rings are quite rare among others celestial bodies. Scientists were delighted to find them around the asteroid Chariklo. The asteroid has two rings, probably formed from frozen water as a result of a collision with another celestial object.
alcohol comet
Comet Lovejoy wowed astronomers and drinkers in 2015. While studying a fast-moving block of ice, scientists found that the comet was ejecting the same type of alcohol humans drink at the rate of 500 bottles of wine per second.
Many people know that only people with excellent skills become cosmonauts. physical health. Did you know that every astronaut who has gone into orbit and beyond has a so-called "expiration date" - a certain amount of time after which he can no longer go into space. And all because the absence of gravity and unique, "cosmic" physical exercise greatly affect the human body.
This influence has been closely studied since the moment Yuri Gagarin landed after his first flight into space. Therefore, if you are planning to become an astronaut or a space tourist, you should pay attention to these changes in physical condition.
The body becomes weaker
The skeletal muscle system is one of the most large systems human body. A huge number of muscles are involved in various routine actions and movements. These muscles are strongly affected by gravitational pressure. Muscles are able to adapt to various loads, but the lack of loads leads to atrophy.
During long flights, skeletal muscles become weaker by an average of 8-17%. The body in the absence of gravity becomes weaker even with regular physical training. This aspect is of great concern to scientists, because in flights lasting from 110 to 237 days, the body weakens by 30%, which jeopardizes long-term space expeditions, for example, a manned flight to Mars.
The heart weakens and loses mass
Almost the entire cardiovascular system is under the influence of gravity. Without it, the work of the heart and blood vessels changes greatly, and the changes are the more noticeable, the longer the astronaut stays in weightlessness. Under microgravity conditions, the volume, shape and mass of the heart muscle change. This is due to the fact that a much smaller volume of blood flowing through the veins enters the heart, and, accordingly, the heart itself releases less blood into the body.
With the above changes, a decrease in heart rate is also associated. An active astronaut in flight has the same heart rate as his sleeping counterpart on earth. Outside of Earth's gravity, the distribution of blood in the body also changes, with more of it remaining in the legs and less returning up to the heart.
Decreased aerobic endurance
Depends on the body's aerobics maximum amount oxygen that a person consumes during exercise. Aerobic endurance determines the level and rate of fatigue of the body under average constant loads. Changes in muscle mass and density, as well as changes in the cardiovascular system, greatly affect the overall physical state organism.
Interestingly, in the initial period of the flight, that is, in the first two weeks, aerobic endurance decreases by 20-25%. In the following days, the level rises slightly, as if the body is adapting to changing conditions. However, the level of body aerobics in space remains comparatively lower than before the flight.
Loss of bone mass and density
Again, due to the lack of terrestrial gravity, the bones of astronauts suffer significant losses in mass and density. The extracellular substance in bone is called the matrix, and two types of cells are responsible for regulating its density: osteoblasts, the cells that form the matrix, and osteoclasts, large cells that absorb it. The force of gravity is responsible for the perfect harmony of the process of formation of both types of cells. Under weightless conditions, this balance changes in favor of the osteoclast, which reduces the amount of matrix to 3.5%. For such a loss, it is enough to be in space from 16 to 18 days. The scary thing is that during long-term flights in space, changes in the spongy bone become irreversible, and 97% of the loss is suffered by the "bearing" bones - the hip and tibia. This is what caused the "shelf life" of experienced astronauts.
The immune system suffers
The immunity of astronauts during the flight is greatly reduced. This is influenced by several factors, including radiation, microgravity, high level stress, prolonged isolation and "resetting the internal clock" of the body, that is, a change in the 24-hour daily cycle, which negatively affects sleep. In addition, being in an enclosed space, astronauts have to deal with a very limited number of germs and bacteria. This affects the response of the immune system.
1. During the first 10-15 seconds, you remain conscious and feel the moisture evaporate from the tongue.
The same thing happens with the entire surface of the body - as with heavy sweating.
Therefore, in an airless space, a person feels icy cold.
2. Attacks of nausea and vomiting are possible, as gases from the stomach and intestines are rapidly pushed out.
(Note: before spacewalk from soda and hot sauces better to refrain).
3. If the Eustachian tubes in the ears are clogged with earwax or something else,
then there may be problems with the inner ear, if not - everything is in order.
4. The heart rate rises sharply, then gradually falls, just like arterial pressure.
Venous pressure steadily increases as gas bubbles form in the body.
5. The body may swell up to twice its normal size, the skin is stretched,
unless, of course, you're wearing a tight, stretchy suit.
6. According to the Data Collection on space biology»,
fine-fitting elastic clothing can completely prevent the formation of gas bubbles
when the pressure drops to 15 torr (millimeters of mercury).
For comparison: normal Atmosphere pressure- 760 Torr, and the pressure on the surface of the Moon is about 10–11 Torr.
Blood boils at 47 torr. The body swells due to the fact that the liquid in soft tissues goes into gaseous state.
However, the skin is strong enough to withstand this pressure.
So, you will not be torn apart, you will just swell up like a balloon.
7. As the body expels vapor through the nose and mouth, and the fluid content in the body is reduced,
you feel more and more cold. Mouth and tongue become icy.
8. If, with all this, you also find yourself in direct sunlight (without special protective equipment),
you will get a severe sunburn.
9. Due to the lack of oxygen, the skin acquires a bluish-purple hue, known as cyanosis.
10. The brain and heart remain in relative order for about 90 seconds.
When blood pressure drops to 47 Torr, the blood begins to boil and the heart gradually stops.
After that, nothing will help you.
11. But if the pressure is restored in time, the body will gradually return to normal.
True, for some time you will lose your sight and the ability to move. But over time, both functions will be restored.
In addition, for several days you will not feel the taste of food.
12. On the other hand, if you hold your breath or try to
air escape during sudden decompression in some other way,
then “an increase in intrapulmonary pressure will lead to such a strong expansion
chest, which can cause ruptures in the lungs and destruction of capillaries.
The trapped air is forced out of the lungs into chest, and through damaged blood vessels penetrates
directly into the general circulation. And through the bloodstream, air bubbles spread already throughout the body.
and can easily reach vital organs such as the heart and brain.”
Something similar can happen during decompression on board an aircraft flying at high altitude.
If this happens, remember that you should never hold your breath.
Space research in real life just as blurry as in the movies. This is an area in which it is not always possible to obtain accurate data. Even the best scientists do not know about the size and scale of the Universe. However, every day there is an increasing development of it.
What do researchers still know about space that you might not know yet?
Recording space sounds
NASA uses a technology called ultrasonic data processing to receive signals from radio waves, magnetic fields, and also plasma waves. and converts these signals into audio tracks to "hear" what's going on in distant space.
Quite eerie sounds range from gloomy splashes to signals reminiscent of an approaching spaceship.
Blue Sunsets of Mars
The fact of a similar phenomenon became known in 2015, when it was possible to obtain the first color photo this planet.
Scientists attribute the visual effect to the glow of small particles in the atmosphere of Mars, which allow blue color waves to penetrate the atmosphere more efficiently than "longer" ones, such as red, yellow and orange.
Sending into space is insanely expensive
By dividing the launch cost by the weight of the load, you can get staggering numbers. So, one lemon sent into space will cost $2,000.
Not so long ago, every 450 grams of cargo cost $10,000. Now prices have risen sharply: up to $43,180 for spaceship Swan and $27,000 for new SpaceX carriers. Thus, to fly a bottle of water into space, you will need to pay between $9,100 and $43,180.
space junk
Outer space is filled with a lot of debris, such as parts of destroyed rockets or broken satellites. These objects still continue to revolve around the Earth at 10 times the speed of the shot.
Space debris is monitored so that those responsible for its distribution are held accountable. However, its number has already exceeded 23,000 objects. The leaders in this list are the USA, Russia and China. Under the responsibility of each of the three countries is a little less than 4,000 objects.
This garbage is dangerous with a possible collision that can cause a huge garbage cloud due to a chain reaction. That's what the movie "Gravity" shows us.
Saving footprints on the moon
Lunar rocks are destroyed so slowly (by 10 mm in 1 million years) that traces of astronauts can remain on its surface for 10-100 million years.
That's how much can exist on our natural satellite footprints of the astronauts who flew to the moon on Apollo 11 in 1969.
outer space temperature
It's not always cold here. In the most remote corners, temperatures can drop to -270 °C. But if you get closer to the Earth, where the Sun surrounds everything with its rays, you can observe an increase in temperature up to 120 ° C.
Astronaut suits white color so they can reflect heat.
A year is shorter than a day
Venus rotates rather slowly, in the opposite direction from the Earth. Its complete rotation takes 243 of our days, which is its usual day.
But it is located close to the Sun, because it passes around it in just 225 days. Thus, it turns out that the year on Venus is slightly shorter than the day.
The ISS is the size of a football field
International space station is the largest object sent by humans into space. Its length is 108 meters, and its weight is almost 420,000 kg.
During the research, 230 people from 18 different countries visited here.
Without spacesuit
Contrary to the fact shown in the movie "Gravity", without a space suit you would not last more than 15 seconds in space.
Exactly enough for all the oxygen that you have blood. After that, the air in the lungs will expand due to the lack of pressure in the atmosphere, which will tear the tissues. Also in an unprotected body, blood boils and a lack of bowel control will occur.
space criminals
There are certain laws according to which weapons cannot be launched into orbit. mass destruction and all research should be conducted for peaceful purposes only. Any country is responsible for the object launched into space and the damage it can cause.
Therefore, the UN monitors outer space and objects with people in it. Any illegal actions can make an astronaut a space criminal.
Space
You might think that apart from planets and stars there is nothing here. Despite the fact that this is not far from the truth, outer space is still not exactly a vacuum.
It has a small density of particles. These are clouds of cosmic plasma, stellar dust and cosmic rays.
The blackness of space
It would seem like this great amount the stars were supposed to fill the space with light, but it is black. In 1823, a German astronomer decided that the brightness of a static universe, evenly filled with stars, should be equal to the brightness of the solar disk. The phenomenon has been called "Olsberg's paradox".
Later it turned out that there is no uniform filling of stars, because some of them did not exist for so long that their light could still reach the Earth now, and the Universe has the ability to expand. Hence the blackness of space, which cannot be evenly illuminated.
The undisputed leader
The Sun makes up 99.8% of the total mass solar system. Everything else, including our Earth, is just specks of dust in comparison.
It is not surprising that it has kept planets around it for billions of years.
Black holes
The Milky Way contains tens of thousands of black holes, according to a new study. These objects cannot be detected in a calm state.
However, when they interact with a star, scientists can find them using X-rays.
Septillion stars
Approximately this number of stars has the universe. By the way, this number contains 24 zeros after one. Over nine years of observation, scientists have identified 10,000 galaxies in the darkest depths of the universe.
Our Milky Way galaxy alone contains about 100 billion stars. Multiplying this number by the number of galaxies, we got the estimated figure.
However, this is not the final number, because there is a lot of unknown outer space. According to scientists, this figure will grow in their calculations as technologies are improved to discover new galaxies.
