Out of This World! - Do you ever wonder just how big our universe is? Check out the hubble telescope

Do you ever wonder just how big our universe is? Think about it.

Knowing what is out there is only limited by the technology that we have now and the light years that have reached the farthest distance. Our universe is also constantly expanding. And how do we know this?! Math and science! Each and every year we are discovering more and more of what surrounds our planet. Just last year, scientists at NASA found that an asteroid had made its way into the Earth’s orbit, practically mimicking a second moon. However, it is significantly smaller than our moon and our satellites orbiting the Earth, so it is not predicted that we will be able to land on it anytime soon. Another discovery that has been made in the past year is that there are over ten times more galaxies than previously estimated. with the Hubble telescope, astronomers found that what we previously thought were large galaxies actually were made up of many smaller galaxies. It is thought that over 90% of our universe is yet to be discovered.

Additionally, scientists have viewed what appears to be plumes of water erupting from one of Jupiter’s moons, Europa, through the Hubble telescope. These plumes would provide an easy access way to Europa’s ocean, which is thought to hold twice as much water as Earth’s oceans. The ocean is located below miles of ice so this form of access will allow scientists to sample the ocean water more easily, and test for the potential to hold life. NASA is hoping to get a satellite to orbit Europa by 2020.

What if our universe is actually just a circle with a black hole in the middle and the only way we can see the other side is to travel around it? It would be like a universe donut! This would be due to an abundance of dark matter, which is matter that has the ability to bend light. However, it has not been confirmed that dark matter exists due to its complexity. But there is evidence of a particle consisting of very similar characteristics to those of dark matter. What else is out there? Aliens? Water?

The past year has led to many discoveries, although many of them are only predictions for now. Who knows, maybe this year those predictions will be proven true.

http://www.space.com/35099-most-amazing-space-astronomy-discoveries-of-2016.html

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/hubble-reveals-observable-universe-contains-10-times-more-galaxies-than-previously-thought