We live in a universe saddled with several oddities that are still yet to be discovered. While we might know that the universe is exceptionally big with tons of mind-boggling features, there are some jaw-dropping things about the universe that we might or might not know of. One interesting thing about the universe is the endless possibilities of intriguing oddities that will always leave us fascinated. From its ever-expanding capabilities to the most bizarre dark energy and matter, the universe continues to amaze and baffle even the best of astronomers.
Below are five of the most mind-expanding things about the universe that can leave anyone in awe.
The graphical representation of the universe most of us have engraved in our minds is the presumed saddle-shaped or curved like the earth. The only edge we know of is our horizon and it is no further than we can see. Think of it this way, you can spot a horizon from a distance on a boat cruise on the ocean but it turns out more horizons appear as you get closer to the one you see. There is more beyond what we actually can see. Scientists have made research and measurements that proved the universe to be flat. The only reason we see horizons are because of the finite speed of light.
Right beyond the horizon we see lies an indefinite universe that just keeps going in the same way and is as old as time itself. This is enough reason to believe that the universe has no edge as opposed to what we believe. There is practically no possible way to comprehend this infinite because it cannot be seen.
Don't be taken aback. 95 percent of our universe is made up of dark matter and dark energy. So where does the galaxy of stars and parents and other ordinary materials occupy? Well, they have only 5 percent to themselves. Fascinating isn't it? The universe never ceases to amaze mankind.
Dark matter takes up 24 percent of our universe. It is an exotic material that interacts through gravity and gives out absolutely no light. This makes it invisible to us and that earned it the name "dark matter". 71 percent of the universe is home to a very unusual type of matter. Scientists consider it a part of the universe itself and not just matter. It is dark energy. Dark energy possesses a gravitationally alarming effect that is the driving force behind the speedy expansion of the universe. However, the concept behind how this expansion is happening is yet to be realized by scientists.
It might interest you to know that when you stare into far-away galaxies through your telescope, you are taking a glimpse of the past. It might also interest you to know that some galaxies are located miles away from us. It takes billions of years to reach the earth and that is even with the speed of light. The things we see and images we collect through our telescopes represent nothing short of what the galaxies looked like years before our existence when the light left the galaxy.
The universe, as opposed to so many views, has no center. Since the Big Bang that occurred about 14 billion years ago, the universe has never and will not stop expanding. However, it is noteworthy that the Big Bang was an explosion of space itself and not just any regular explosion in outer space. Every facet in space expands away from every other facet in space. Hence, there is no visible center to the expansion. Scientists measure from our galaxy that all galaxies are drifting away from us. The farther, the faster. Think of it this way, if you have to move away to any galaxy in the future, you would see that all other galaxies would move away from you. This makes you seem like the center of the universe, and the same thing applies to other galaxies but in the actual sense, there is no center.
For one thing, the universe has a lot of stars. More stars than we actually think. The very first stars were products of the Big Bang. Billions of years later, more stars are springing up. Although stars will stop forming and will burn out gradually till none is left. While this will happen in the very distant future, the universe will support the existence of big black holes.
Scientists believe that practically every Galaxy in the universe possesses an enormously large black hole and this implies that the universe will have countless black holes spread across it.
Of course, there are several mind-boggling characteristics of the universe that many do not know about. Scientists are constantly researching these attributes and we might see some of them resolved in the nearest future. For now, let us just keep drinking the wildness and weirdness of the universe.
