Space is fascinating, but it can also be terrifying. There are so many unknowns that it’s hard to know when there’s something we need to worry about.
But as we learn more about space, more and more frightening facts are being discovered.
Supermassive Black Hole Phoenix-A
This is a frighteningly large black hole that is billions of miles in diameter. It’s so big that if the sun was only 3 feet wide, this black hole would be 240 miles in diameter. The amount of energy it consumes is unimaginable.
The Vast Distances
While everything looks relatively close together when you look at a chart of planets or stars, the truth is a lot scarier. The distance between even close-by objects is in the millions or billions of miles. Uranus alone is about 1.7 billion miles away, and that’s still inside our solar system. The distances between stars are considerably higher.
There’s No Known End to It
It’s hard for the mind to process something endless, so many of us don’t try. We don’t know of any end to space or the various bodies that float inside it. As far as we know, it goes on forever.
The Great Attractor
An enormous object 147 million lightyears from us is pulling everything toward it. Everything within 500 million lightyears of the object is being affected. We have no idea what this object is, but it’s bigger than the largest galaxies that have ever been discovered, about 10 quadrillion times the size of our sun.
Solar Radiation
The massive radiation that escapes the sun through solar flares is unpredictable. One of the reasons that moon missions stopped is that massive solar flares erupted that could have killed any astronauts if they’d been in space or on the moon.
Time Can Be Different in Space
We have a concept of time as being something fixed, but throughout the universe, it isn’t. Time can pass differently depending on where you are or even how fast you’re going.
We May Be Completely Alone in the Universe
We don’t have complete proof that there is any other life anywhere off the Earth. This could be the beginning of us realizing that there’s no other life out there and that we’re all alone forever.
We May Not Be Alone in the Universe
The reverse is that there are various types of alien life out there, and they may be far more advanced than we are. We know some planets are millions of years older than ours, and if they have life, they may be millions of years ahead of us technologically.
Chances Are, There Are Aliens
Being all alone is scary, but so is being with alien beings with uncertain motives. Mathematically, it’s considered far more likely that there are many, many types of life out there at varying levels of technological ability. The Drake Equation proves that life is far more likely than not across the universe.
Space Walks Are Terrifying
Astronauts have reported that taking space walks is disorienting and can cause serious emotional reactions like panic attacks. Many astronauts report not liking their time in space because of feelings of panic and dread.
Space Junk Is a Major Problem
There’s so much junk flying around in space that it poses a serious risk to astronauts and the space station. Holes have been found blasted through the space station from space junk. It also poses a danger to the satellites we depend on.
Most of the Universe Is Dark Matter
The majority of the matter in the universe is what’s known as dark matter. What is this? We don’t know. We know it’s there because of the behavior of matter in space and from dizzying mathematical calculations. We just have no idea what it is.
Black Holes Bend Time and Space
Black holes are massive objects that have so much gravity they stretch and curve space and time. They can slow down time until it appears as if it’s stopped. This can keep light at the point where it gets drawn in to appear to stay in place permanently.
Our Star Is Pretty Small
There are stars smaller than ours, but the overall size of the Sun is pretty mid. While the sun makes all the difference in the Milky Way, it’s nothing at all compared to the largest stars out there. UY Scuti has a radius about 1,700 times bigger than our Sun’s radius.
We Never Know When Asteroids Are Coming
If you’ve ever heard about a near-collision of the Earth and a large asteroid, you may know just how hard it is to predict such an occurrence. Most asteroids aren’t very reflective, so it’s hard to see them until they’re very close to our planet.
19 Cultural and Behavioral Differences Between Gen Z and Millennials
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Here are 19 key differences between Gen Z and millennials:
19 Cultural and Behavioral Differences Between Gen Z and Millennials
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Following are some notable examples.
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Whatever the basis, it’s advice you’re better off ignoring and making sure you never pass on. Read on for some examples of stunningly bad advice!
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