1. Antimatter
The particles which compose matter may also be found in opposite versions, in other words, as antimatter. Matter and antimatter destroy each other and what results from such a collision is pure energy. This may be useful to NASA engineers as plans for future aircrafts may include antimatter engines.
2. Mini-black holes
Recently, a new theory of relativity was proposed and if it is true, then this would mean that the cosmos is filled with little black holes, of the size of an atomic nucleus. They are, apparently, what remains of the famous Big Bang and they are said to be connected to a fifth dimension. Weird or what?
3. Cosmic Microwave Background
Another remaining of the Big Bang is the CMB, a type of radiation which was discovered in the ’60s and was similar to a radio noise that was coming from everywhere in space. The CMB is one of the strongest evidence we have that there was, indeed, a Big Bang at the origin of the Universe.
4. Dark Matter
Even though dark matter is a very important concept and even though scientists know that it exists, they cannot detect it with the technology that we have today. This is such a mysterious force that some scientists even doubt its existence.
5. Exoplanets
They are a very recent discovery: until 1990, scientists had not discovered other planets than those in our own solar system. From that time, however, more than 500 planets outside our solar system were discovered. Today, scientists are wondering if any of these planets may be similar to our own.
6. Gravity waves
Gravity waves are defined as “distortions in the fabric of space-time” (see source) and they were first comprised in Einstein’s theory of relativity. They are very fast, traveling with the speed of light, but they are also said to be hard to detect, and only the ones generated by important cosmic events are powerful enough to be “seen” by Earth detectors.
7. Galactic Cannibalism
Even though it sounds very weird, galaxies actually eat each other. In fact, we have a cannibal neighbor called Andromeda which is, as we are speaking, enjoying a meal composed of one of its satellites. What’s more, Andromeda and our own Milky Way will turn against each other in about 2 billion years. The photo above is a simulation of the encounter.
8. Neutrinos
Neutrinos are very strange particles, which have no mass and are electrically neutral. They pass through any kind of matter and you are not an exception. They are born inside the fires of living planets but also within dying stars.
9. Quasars
What we know about these mysterious formations is that they are huge black holes that release more energy than hundreds of galaxies together. They are said to be found in the center of very far galaxies.
10. Vacuum Energy
I may not know many things about quantum energy, but those who do know claim that space is filled with subatomic particles that are continuously being born and destroyed. These particles may not seem important but they actually generate energy which creates an anti-gravitational force. This force is pushing space apart. However, there is much more to discover since, until now, nobody knows what causes the univers to grow up so fast.
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