YikesMan / space

Space is ridiculous

Big questions, strange observations, and the cosmic facts that make reality feel fictional.

Alt Text: A stunning spiral galaxy surrounded by numerous stars and galaxies, showcasing its distinct arms and bright central core. The image captures the mesmerizing galaxy rotation in the vastness of space.

SCIENCE · space

Why Galaxies Rotate Like They Have Invisible Company

Stars at the edges of galaxies move too fast for visible matter alone to explain. That mismatch is one of dark matter's biggest clues.

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SCIENCEWhat does SCIENCE mean?

Established science or active scientific research. The story is grounded in scientific evidence or an active research question. The frontier may still be uncertain. See the full glossary →

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Alt Text: A collage of scientific images and text. The top left section features a green and blue gradient image with the label "nahic cosnic mivrowave prantgougg," which seems to be a distorted representation of "cosmic microwave patterns." To the right, there are two images of galaxies with bright yellow-orange centers and purple-blue halos. The middle area has text in an unclear font that appears nonsensical. The bottom left contains a close-up, colorful pattern of blue, green, and red spots. The bottom right shows two images of star clusters with bright points against a darker backdrop.

SCIENCE · space

The Cosmic Microwave Background: The Baby Picture With Tiny Cosmic Clues

The oldest light in the universe looks nearly smooth—until its faint temperature variations reveal the seeds of galaxies.

Alt Text: An artistic depiction of large radio telescopes positioned on an alien-like desert landscape, pointing towards a vibrant and colorful cosmic scene with a spiraling galaxy and a Microwave Background in the sky. Two silhouetted figures stand in the foreground observing and taking notes.

SCIENCE · space

Mysterious Cosmic Microwave Background

In the 1960s, a groundbreaking discovery was made that forever shifted our perception of the cosmos – the Cosmic Microwave Background. This faint radiation,

Alt Text: An artistic representation of a galaxy, possibly illustrating the Cosmic Dark Ages, with bright white stars scattered across a dark blue background filled with patches of light and dark nebulae.

SCIENCE · space

Space: The Cosmic Dark Ages

Unveiling the universe’s past is no easy feat, yet the allure persists. One particularly captivating era is the Cosmic Dark Ages, a time when

Alt Text: The image depicts a colorful, star-filled section of outer space with several icy bodies orbiting, representing the Kuiper Belt. A band of bright stars and cosmic dust stretches diagonally across the background, while various orbits are illustrated with curved lines around the celestial bodies.

SCIENCE · space

Anomalies of the Kuiper Belt

The mysteries and secrets of the cosmos have captivated the world’s curiosity for generations. Among the most fascinating facets of our solar system is the Kuiper

Alt Text: "A vibrant and abstract depiction of cosmic inflation, showcasing a bright, energetic burst of orange, red, and purple colors against a dark background with a grid overlay, signifying the rapid expansion of the universe immediately after the Big Bang."

SCIENCE · space

Cosmic Inflation: The Universe's Wildest First Fraction of a Second

A brief burst of extraordinary expansion could explain why the young universe looks so smooth. What powered it is still open science.

Alt Text: A brilliant depiction of an abstract space scene showing galaxies, bright stars, luminous nebulae, and cosmic clouds illustrating Dark Matter Distributions. The image features swirling galaxies, glowing clusters, and a dark spherical object amidst a cosmic landscape, emphasizing the dynamic and mysterious nature of the universe.

SCIENCE · space

The Strange Distributions of Dark Matter

The enigma of the cosmos, particularly the phenomenon of Dark Matter Distributions, has always invoked a sense of awe and intrigue. Dark matter, despite

Latest in space

Alt Text: A vibrant image of supernova remnants in space showcases a bright central star enveloped by multi-colored clouds of gas and dust. Surrounding the remnants are a multitude of smaller stars scattered against the dark expanse of the universe. The gas and dust clouds exhibit hues of blue, green, orange, and brown, adding a dynamic and ethereal feel to the cosmic scene.

SCIENCE · space

Unexplained Rings of Supernova Remnants

The infinite expanse of the night sky holds countless celestial wonders, but few are as captivating as Supernova Remnants. These are the result of the

Alt Text: An illustration of a black hole in space. The black hole is depicted with a dark center surrounded by an intensely colored accretion disk, which displays vibrant shades of orange, yellow, and white. Around the accretion disk, there is a blue and purple halo of gas and dust. The background is filled with numerous stars scattered across the dark expanse of space.

SCIENCE · space

Black Holes: The Places Where the Universe Hides Its Rules

We can observe black holes by their effects on light, gas, stars, and spacetime. What happens beyond the event horizon is still a genuine mystery.

A visually stunning depiction of a cosmic landscape featuring several glowing galaxies and stars. The image is dominated by a swirling spiral galaxy and luminous stars set against a blue and black backdrop. Abstract, scientific diagrams and symbols are superimposed on the scene, with complex patterns suggesting advanced concepts. The theme of dark matter is illustrated by the mysterious and intricate interplay of light and dark areas in the universe.

SCIENCE · space

Dark Matter: The Invisible Scaffolding of the Cosmos

We cannot see dark matter directly, but galaxies behave as if a great deal of unseen mass is holding the cosmic web together.

SCIENCE · space

The Strange Twists of Space-Time

Space-Time, a term synonymous with science fiction, is in actuality the foundational structure of our universe. This article delves into

A young boy lies on grass gazing at the night sky filled with stars and galaxies, with a telescope beside him.

SCIENCE · space

Void in the Cosmic Microwave Background

Dive into the enigmatic world of cosmic voids with me, as I rekindle the youthful wonder from gazing into a sky embroidered with

A pulsar emits intense beams of radiation in the vast expanse of space, with a galaxy visible in the background.

SCIENCE · space

Curious Behavior of Neutron Stars

Neutron stars are the remnants of collapsed giant stars, condensed into spheres about 20 kilometers in diameter but with a mass 1.4 times that

A cosmic scene featuring several planets and moons floating in a vast star-filled space with the Milky Way galaxy's band visible in the background. The image showcases the theme "Galactic Ghosts: Rogue Planets" with the planets illuminated by various light sources, creating an ethereal and mysterious ambiance.

SCIENCE · space

7 Astonishing Facts About Rogue Planets

Rogue planets, celestial bodies unattached to any solar system, drift through the cosmos like cosmic nomads. Unlike planets that orbit stars, these unique entities roam independently, varying in size from as small as the Moon to larger than Jupiter. The formation of rogue planets is still a mystery, with theories suggesting they are either ejected from their original solar systems due to gravitational interactions or born independently in the early universe. Detecting these elusive planets involves techniques like gravitational microlensing, where a rogue planet’s gravity bends the light of a distant star. Studying rogue planets can enhance our understanding of planetary formation, evolution, and the potential for extraterrestrial life in extreme environments.

An artistic depiction of the Oumuamua interstellar object streaking through space, with a starry background and a bright light source behind it, illustrating the mystery of the Oumuamua interstellar object.

SCIENCE · space

‘Oumuamua: The First Known Visitor From Another Star

A fast, tumbling object crossed our solar system in 2017. We know where it came from; its exact nature remains delightfully difficult to pin down.

Illustration depicting the concept of dark energy as an unseen force pushing the universe apart. The scene shows galaxies being pushed away from each other in the vast expanse of space, with deep space elements like stars, nebulae, and cosmic dust. The color scheme features dark tones with bright highlights to represent the mysterious and invisible nature of dark energy.

SCIENCE · space

Dark Energy: The Cosmic Mystery Behind an Accelerating Universe

The universe is expanding faster than it used to. We can measure the effect; we still do not know what dark energy actually is.

Jigsaw puzzle pieces are superimposed over a vibrant, cosmic background with brilliant flashes of blue and purple light, representing puzzling gamma-ray bursts. There are two large white question marks on the image, emphasizing the mystery of these bursts in space.

SCIENCE · space

Puzzling Gamma-Ray Bursts

The mysteries of our universe are seemingly infinite, and one of the most fascinating is Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). These incredible flashes of energy are among the brightest and most powerful events in the cosmos. GRBs are brief, powerful blasts of high-energy gamma rays, often shining a trillion times as bright as the Sun for milliseconds to minutes before fading. There are two primary types: short GRBs, resulting from neutron star mergers, and long GRBs, linked to the deaths of massive stars. Despite significant advances, many questions about GRBs remain, making their study a captivating journey into the depths of the cosmos.

An artistic depiction of a cosmic scene featuring a brilliant, swirling nebula with vibrant colors and bright stars. In the foreground, Earth is partially illuminated by city lights on its surface. On the horizon, silhouettes of telescopes and a few people gazing at the nebula are visible. The image evokes themes of astronomical observation and cosmic exploration, titled "Unveiling the Enigmatic Mysteries of Tabby’s Star: A Scientific Exploration."

SCIENCE · space

Tabby's Star: The Dimming Mystery That Invited Alien Theories

KIC 8462852 really does flicker strangely. Dust is a leading explanation; an alien megastructure is a story, not a finding.

A cosmic scene illustrating "Unraveling the Mystery: Decoding Fast Radio Bursts Phenomenon" with a satellite dish pointing towards a burst of light at the center. Surrounding the bright burst are galaxies and stars in various colors and sizes, set against the dark backdrop of space.

SCIENCE · space

Fast Radio Bursts: Millisecond Flashes With a Cosmic Origin Story Still in Progress

These radio flashes can briefly outshine a galaxy. Magnetars explain some of them—but not yet the whole population.

Illustration of the Great Attractor, a gravitational anomaly in the Laniakea Supercluster. The image shows the Milky Way and other galaxies being pulled towards a dense, mysterious region surrounded by cosmic dust. The vibrant cosmic scene includes stars, galaxies, and nebulae, with colors in deep blues, purples, and radiant bursts of light.

SCIENCE · space

The Great Attractor: The Hidden Mass Tugging at Our Cosmic Neighborhood

Galaxies near us drift toward a dense region partly hidden behind the Milky Way. The name sounds like a villain; the evidence is gravitational motion.

A young person in a dark hoodie looks up in awe, surrounded by vivid depictions of black holes, swirling galaxies, and intricate mathematical equations, capturing the essence of "Unveiling Black Holes: 10 Astonishing Mysteries Revealed."

SCIENCE · space

Unveiling Black Holes: 10 Astonishing Mysteries Revealed

Did you know that a black hole is a point in space with a gravitational pull so strong that even light cannot escape from it? As a young boy, I was captivated by these mystifying phenomena in a universe full of unexplained mysteries. This curiosity led me to astronomy. In April 2019, astrophysicists captured the first image of a black hole in the Messier 87 galaxy, igniting new discoveries and questions. Black holes, formed from the remnants of massive stars, continue to intrigue scientists. From their formation to their potential as time machines, black holes remain one of the universe’s most captivating mysteries.