Cosmos Archives | Filling Space

For the vast majority of humans, celestial objects besides Earth can only be seen, not touched. On the one hand, this can be off-putting –…

Cosmos

What’s it like studying fast radio bursts hundreds of lightyears away?

Editor May 22, 2020 astronomical phenomena astronomy Astrophysics big data astronomy fast radio bursts observatories telescopes the Milky Way the Square Kilometer Array the University of British Columbia

Fast radio bursts are astronomical phenomena not yet well-understood. They are transient pulses, emanating from unidentified high-energy astrophysical processes. To learn more about FRBs, we…

Cosmos

How are cubesats advancing astrophysics?

Editor January 24, 2020 Arizona State University astronomical cameras Astrophysics cubesats exoplanets galaxies Hubble low Earth orbit miniaturization photometers

Cubesats are becoming more common. In low Earth orbit, they are becoming so prevalent that concerns are arising about space debris and interference with Earth-based…

Cosmos

Is our universe part of a larger multiverse?

Editor December 20, 2019 astronomy brane worlds cosmic bubbles inflation theory multiple universes multiverse theory physics quantum physics scientific debates the multiverse

Does the word “universe” best describe everything that exists – all of time, energy, and matter – or is it more appropriate to speak of…

Cosmos

White dwarfs’ exoplanets – what do we know about them?

Editor November 15, 2019 astronomy Earth-like planets exoplanets geochemistry geophysics Habitability magnetic fields planetary systems space science white dwarfs

A booming area of space science is the study of “exoplanets”, the term for planets outside our Solar System. Telescopes like the Transiting Exoplanet Survey…

Cosmos

What will happen to our Solar System after the Sun dies?

Editor October 18, 2019 astronomy Astrophysics chaotic orbits earth gravity planetary debris planetary systems the asteroid belt the Solar System the Sun

When the Sun dies, it will become what we call a white dwarf. White dwarfs are small and incredibly dense – a teaspoon of white…

Cosmos

What do we know about the TRAPPIST-1 system’s habitability?

Editor September 20, 2019 Astrophysics auroras Earth-like planets exoplanets high-energy particles magnetic fields planetary systems stellar radiation the habitable zone TRAPPIST-1

The TRAPPIST-1 system is notable for having Earth-like planets that may be habitable. They are rocky and in the so-called “habitable zone” where water may…

Cosmos

How well can we forecast space weather?

Editor September 13, 2019 auroras Machine Learning magnetism plasma radiation satellites solar eruptions solar wind Space Weather the Sun

Space is more turbulent than it first appears. Space weather, specifically radiation and plasma emanating from our Sun, can affect Earth’s habitability. It can also…