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outer space or outer space or outer space (also referred to as space), refers to the relatively empty part of the Universe, outside the atmosphere of “celestial” objects. The term outer space is used to distinguish it from airspace and “terrestrial” locations.
Space is dominated by electromagnetic forces that we don’t normally see and feel. It is also full of strange types of matter that we have never experienced on Earth.
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Here are five unnatural things that happen almost exclusively in space according to NASA.
1. Plasma
On Earth, matter usually assumes one of three states: solid, liquid, or gas. But in outer space, 99.9 percent of normal matter exists in a completely different form, namely plasma. Made up of ions and loose electrons, these substances are in a supercharged state (a compressed stream) outside the gases created when matter is heated to extreme temperatures or subjected to strong electric currents.
Although we rarely interact with plasma, we always see it. All stars in the night sky, including the Sun, are mostly made of plasma. In fact, it occasionally appears on Earth in the form of lightning strikes and neon signs (noble gases).
Compared to gases, where the particles move erratically, plasmas can act collectively, like a team. All of its particles conduct electricity and are affected by electromagnetic fields. These fields can control the movement of charged particles in the plasma and create waves that accelerate the particles to incredible speeds.
Space full of invisible magnetic fields that form plasma paths. There is also a similar magnetic field around Earth, which directs plasma through the space around our planet.
On the Sun, the magnetic field launches solar flares and instantly ejects plasma, known as the solar wind. This wind blows across the solar system. When the solar wind reaches Earth, it can drive energetic processes, such as auroras and space weather. If strong enough, this solar wind can damage satellites and telecommunications.
2. Extreme Temperature
From Siberia to the Sahara, Earth experiences a wide temperature range. There are records as high as 134° F and as high as -129° F (57° C to -89° C). But what we think of as extreme on Earth is just a matter of course for outer space. On a planet with no fixed atmosphere, temperatures fluctuate wildly between day and night.
Days on Mercury are regularly around 840°F (449°C) and nights 275°F (-171°C). And in space, some spacecraft experience a temperature difference of 60 °F (33 °C) only between the sunlit side and the shaded side. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, on its closest approach to the Sun, will experience a difference of more than 2,000 degrees.
Satellites and instruments those sent into space are carefully designed to withstand these extreme conditions. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spends most of its time in direct sunlight, but several times a year, its orbit passes through Earth’s shadow. During this cosmic conjunction, otherwise known as an eclipse, the temperature of the solar panel facing the Sun drops by 317° F (158° C). The onboard heater will turn on to keep electronics and instruments safe so the temperature drop is only half.
Similarly, astronaut suits are made to withstand temperatures of -250°F to 250°F (-157°C to 121°C). The suit is white to reflect light when in the sun, and heaters are placed throughout the interior to keep astronauts warm when it’s dark. The suit is also designed to provide consistent pressure and oxygen, and resist damage from micrometeorites and the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation.
3. Cosmic Alchemy
Right now, the Sun is squeezing hydrogen into helium in the depths of its core. The process of bringing atoms together under tremendous pressure and temperature, forming new elements is called fusion.
When the universe was born, it was mostly hydrogen and helium, plus a few other light elements. Fusion in stars and supernovae have equipped the cosmos with more than 80 other elements, some of which make life possible.
The sun and the stars the other is an excellent fusion production machine. Every second, the Sun combines about 600 million metric tons of hydrogen (equivalent to 102 times the Great Pyramid of Giza) to produce it. Over time, new fusion releases large amounts of energy and light particles called photons.
These photons take about 250,000 years to reach 434,000 miles (about 700,000 kilometers) to the Sun’s surface. After that, light takes only eight minutes to travel the 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) to Earth.
To note, fission or fission is a nuclear reaction that breaks down heavy elements into smaller elements. Fission was first demonstrated in laboratories in the 1930s and is currently used for nuclear power generation. The energy released in fission can create a huge explosion.
But fission is still several times less than the energy created by fusion. However, scientists have yet to find a way to control the plasma so that it generates power from the fusion reaction. If this could be done, just imagine what kind of bomb could be created.
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