Top Mysteries of Outer Space

The solar system, in which earth is situated, is but a speck in the Milky Way Galaxy, which in turn is just one of the countless galaxies in the Universe. Even though there have been a lot of breakthroughs in science and technology, they have still not been enough to solve the mysteries in outer space, especially the top mysteries listed below.

1. Black Holes

The Mystery: Where the Black Holes Drain

Black holes are formed when a region in space has such large concentrations of mass that it collapses. These black holes have such strong gravitational fields that even light cannot escape. This is why a black hole is invisible. It can only be seen when it sucks in matter, like gas from a nebula, and releases huge amounts of radiation. Though the existence of these black holes has been proved, scientists still do not know where the matter that gets sucked in leads to. Some speculate that these black holes drain into a parallel universe.


2. Antimatter

The Mystery: Where to Find Antimatter and How to Contain It

If you are a fan of “Star Trek,” you have probably already heard the term “antimatter” (or anti-matter) several times. Antimatter is used in that TV show as a power source for the spacecraft to make warp-speed possible. Unlike “Star Trek,” though, antimatter is not fictional. As you may know, matter is composed of smaller particles – protons, neutrons and electrons. Antimatter is just the same thing – composed of smaller particles, only having opposite charges. For example, the antimatter counterpart of the electron, which has a negative charge, is the positron, having a positive electrical charge. The mystery here is where to find this antimatter. This task is quite difficult because once antimatter gets into contact with matter, both particles undergo annihilation – a huge release of energy, which causes the destruction of both particles.

Here's how the cataclysmic interplay between matter and antimatter led to the richly detailed world we observe today. (Photo by Illustration by John MacNeill)

Big bang leads to the formation of energy and matter: the universe's first 1/1,000 of a nanosecond.
1) The big bang creates equal amounts of matter (blue) and antimatter (red). 2) One of every billion antimatter particles changes into a particle of matter. 3) Matter and antimatter annihilate each other. 4) The result: Antimatter destroys 99.9999999 percent of the matter in the universe.

The first atoms begin to form: another 3 minutes.
5) The few remaining matter particles combine in groups of three to form protons and neutrons, which along with electrons make atoms. Among the first kinds of atoms to form were hydrogen, deuterium, and helium.

Atoms coalesce into stars, galaxies, and eventually us: 15 billion more years.
6) Atoms cool, coalesce, and evolve into the universe we know today.


3. Extra-Terrestrial Life

The Mystery: Where to Find It, Where to Look, and What to Look For

This question has been asked for several decades already, even before man got the chance to go to outer space. The universe is a large place, which makes scientists and ordinary people alike ask if we are not alone. Though theories state that it is possible that there may be life outside our world, there is still no hard evidence of such. Several projects have been launched that aim not just to find life, but intelligent life forms like humans. The SETI project (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) is one example of such efforts in finding ETs.

4. Wormholes

The Mystery: Proof of Existence

Wormholes are hypothetical structures in the universe that are said to be “shortcuts” to another side of the universe. They got their name from the act of a worm burrowing into an apple to get to the other side instead of traversing the surface of the apple. Wormholes have still not been proved to exist, but the theory of relativity (think Einstein and E=mc2) includes their existence.



5. Dark Matter

The Mystery: How to Prove Its Existence and How to Detect It

Scientists believe that the biggest bulk of mass in the universe today is not the matter we can see or observe. In fact, this observable matter accounts for only about 4 percent, with the rest being dark matter and dark energy. Another thing that is unknown is the particles that make up this unseen matter. Though current technologies cannot directly detect and observe dark matter, its presence can be observed through its effect on its surroundings like nebulae, galaxies, stars, and solar systems.


6. Parallel Universes aka “Multiverse”

The Mystery: Prove the Existence of These Parallel Universes

This mystery is more of science fiction to ordinary people, just like in that Jet Li movie “The One.” You may be surprised to know though that there are some proofs and theories that point to the possibility of having several to unlimited numbers of universes. Called a “multiverse,” this would include our universe, the one in which we are situated. Who knows – maybe one day, technology might prove this and allow people to travel from one universe to another through wormholes.


7. Neutrinos

The Mystery: Capability to Travel Through Matter Unimpeded

Neutrinos are sub-atomic particles that almost have no mass, have a neutral charge, and travel almost at the speed of light. These particles pass through matter almost unimpeded. This makes detection quite complicated. The majority of the neutrinos that pass through us now come from our sun. Today, there are several neutrino detectors around the world. The reason why scientists are very interested in studying particles is because when fully analyzed, they can be used to detect and thoroughly examine stellar objects or bodies from very far distances, farther than what current technologies allow.


8. Quasars

The Mystery: Power source and Characteristics

Quasars are the brightest known bodies in the universe, producing light energy equivalent to millions of galaxies put together. Though these bodies are observable, little is known about their behavior, how they formed, and what powers them. Many scientists believe that at the core of these quasars lie super-massive black holes, and that quasars are the result of the energy released by the black hole as it devours matter. These giant power generators are said to give clues on how the universe started.


9. End of the Universe

The Mystery: How the Universe Will End

It is still unclear how the universe started, and scientists are no less baffled as to how the universe will end. The most dominant theories on the birth and death of the universe are the “Big Bang” and the “Big Crunch” theories, respectively. The big crunch states that the universe will end when it suddenly crunches back into a small particle - something like the Big Bang put on rewind. Another theory of the universe’s end is that everything would come to a screeching halt, including space time. Oh well, we won’t be alive by then anyway, so no need to worry. Who knows, humans may already be extinct by that time, and roaches the new masters of the earth.


10. Vacuum Energy

The Mystery: Its Behavior and How it Seems to Affect the Rapid Expansion of the Universe

Outer space consists of patches of matter in the form of galaxies, nebulae, stars, solar systems, and other celestial bodies. The space in between these bodies seems to be void of any matter, known as a vacuum. This vacuum, though, seems to influence or directly cause the rapid expansion of the universe where only one thing can cause such action – energy. That is why it is believed that in the vacuum of space lie “phantom” particles – energy that still cannot be detected by current technologies. Once hard proof has been found that dark or vacuum energy does exist, it will unlock the other mysteries of space.


11. Mini Black Holes


If a radical new “braneworld” theory of gravity is correct, then scattered throughout our solar system are thousands of tiny black holes, each about the size of an atomic nucleus. Unlike their larger brethren, these mini-black holes are primordial leftovers from the Big Bang and affect space-time differently because of their close association with a fifth dimension.



12. Cosmic Microwave Background

Also known as the CMB, this radiation is a primordial leftover from the Big Bang that birthed the universe. It was first detected during the 1960s as a radio noise that seemed to emanate from everywhere in space. The CMB is regarded as one of the best pieces of evidence for the theoretical Big Bang. Recent precise measurements by the WMAP project place the CMB temperature at -455 degrees Fahrenheit (-270 Celsius).


13. Exoplanets

Until about the early 1990s, the only known planets in the universe were the familiar ones in our solar system. Astronomers have since identified more than 190 extrasolar planets (as of June 2006). They range from gargantuan gas worlds whose masses are just shy of being stars to small, rocky ones orbiting dim, red dwarfs. Searches for a second Earth, however, have so far turned up empty. Astronomers generally believe that better technology is likely to eventually reveal several worlds similar to our own.


14. Gravity Waves


Gravity waves are distortions in the fabric of space-time predicted by Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity. The waves travel at the speed of light, but they are so weak that scientists expect to detect only those created during colossal cosmic events, such as black hole mergers like the one shown above. LIGO and LISA are two detectors designed to spot the elusive waves.



15. Galactic Cannibalism


Like life on Earth, galaxies can “eat” each other and evolve over time. The Milky Way’s neighbor, Andromeda, is currently dining on one of its satellites. More than a dozen star clusters are scattered throughout Andromeda, the cosmic remains of past meals. The image above is from a simulation of Andromeda and our galaxy colliding, an event that will take place in about 3 billion years.


Conclusion

Though man has created advanced technologies along with groundbreaking theories, all those are just not enough to explain the wonders and mysteries of space. All these experts can do right now is observe, device theories, and try to come up with ways to solve these great mysteries.

Sources : Crunkish.com, The List Universe, Popular Science