A Study of Astronomy: The Wonders of Space

In this busy life, we are so consumed by our own affairs and the affairs of others, that we rarely get a chance to appreciate what is around us. Our bodies and minds are constantly in motion; from school, work, running errands, exercising, socializing, and even our own personal leisure time. It sometimes seems that our lives here on this earth are all that really matter. Yet if you stop for a moment to appreciate what is around you, you may think otherwise. To look up into the night sky, you may begin to realize that we are merely specs in a vast and mysterious universe. For this reason there is nothing that can quite compare to the immense beauty and wonders of space.

The Solar System

Long ago it was believed that Earth was the center of the universe, until Copernicus changed the way we comprehend space. He began a controversial Scientific Revolution, against religious beliefs, that essentially put the sun at the center of the universe. Copernicus discovered the heliocentric model, in which the Earth and several other planets revolve around a stationary sun. There are four inner planets consisting of rocky compositions; Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Then there are the four outer planets, consisting of gas compositions; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Each planet has it's own distinctive characteristics, such as it's color, temperature, moons, gravity, rings, storms, and overall composition. There is only one however, that is the perfect distance from the sun to inhabit life, and that is of course our "goldi-locks" planet of Earth.

Galaxies

This belief that the sun was the center of the universe lasted until 1920, when the astronomer, Edwin Hubble, discovered the existences of galaxies. He was able to prove that the sun was merely a star belonging to a greater galaxy, a grouping of stars, known as the Milky Way. He also confirmed that there were many other galaxies that existed in the universe. This was a monumental discovery that once again changed the perspective of space, especially the scale of it.

With the discovery of galaxies, came a whole new and larger perspective on space. Scientists had to introduce a new way of measuring distance through a system of time known as light-years (6 trillion miles) and parsecs (3.26 light years). Many of these galaxies are millions of light years away from Earth, which means we may be seeing stars that could no longer even exist. Galaxies come in all shapes and sizes, elliptical to spirals, ranging from ten million to a hundred trillion stars. To try and comprehend that size, consider that one of these stars could be home to a planetary system such as our own Solar System. And today there are believed to be over 170 billion galaxies, in our observable universe. There is simply no word great enough to describe this size, and the universe continues expanding every moment.

Nebula

One of the most beautiful things in space, are the interstellar clouds of a nebula. These clouds are often formed after the collapse of one star, and the birth of another. They consist of dust, hydrogen, helium, and other gases. Our own solar system was formed by a giant nebula, that underwent a gravitational collapse and eventually formed our sun and planets.
Today there are many observable star-forming regions that come in all sorts of unique colors, shapes, and compositions. Incredible regions such as the Eagle Nebula, Crab Nebula, Orion Nebula, the Butterfly Nebula and many others. These nebulae represent an important transition in space-matter, and are a heavenly visual wonder.

Supernovas

The sudden death of a star, results in a massive luminous explosion, known as a supernova. This explosion occurs when the atom of a star ceases to generate energy. This sudden burst radiates more energy than the entire lifespan of the sun, and for a moment will outshine an entire galaxy. It sends a shock wave that travels at 10% the speed of light, and of course would destroy anything in it's path.

Sometimes these energetic explosions send out flashes of gamma rays. These gamma ray bursts can last from up to ten milliseconds to several minutes and are the most luminous event to occur in the universe. The result of a supernova will eventually become a neutron star or a black hole. As terrifying as a supernova may be, they play an important role in the cycle of space. The star dust of a supernova is essential in enriching the galaxy with chemical elements, that result in the formation of new stars.