5 Fascinating Facts about our Universe
- ARC EDUCATORS
- Apr 6
- 5 min read
How often have you looked at the sky and wondered about the Universe? I assume at least once in your life, or perhaps every day. It is truly fascinating how we are just a speck of dust in the vast Universe, yet here we are, seeking answers to all sorts of questions. So, dear curious reader, don't worry!
I shall tell you some incredible facts about our Universe that will spark your curiosity and make you want to explore its secrets even further.
The first fact is the most important aspect that one must consider while wanting to explore the vastness of our universe, as some might come across something, thinking that it’s almost everything, only to realize that it’s almost nothing.
1. Most of the universe is INVISIBLE!
The Universe we know of, including the sky, stars, planets, galaxies, and everything else, is only the visible part of the whole. The matter that is visible to us makes up 5% of the actual Universe. The remaining 95% is simply unknown to us because of its invisibility.
Scientists believe that 95% of the Universe is just made up of Dark Matter and Dark Energy which cannot be directly observed.
Unlike regular matter, dark matter doesn’t emit or absorb any light, which makes it completely invisible. Over the years of research, scientists know that it exists, due to its gravitational effects on the galaxies. The significance of dark matter is that the galaxies would fly apart without it!
As the dark matter wasn’t mysterious enough, we got dark energy, which is believed to be responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe! We can’t see or detect it directly, but its effects are seen in how the galaxies move.
To study this mysterious and ominous invisible part of the universe, scientists have done a significant amount of research and are continuing to work, to make it make sense, to find more clues, or perhaps, to discover something new! We will never know unless we keep looking for answers right?
The second fact is something that most of you might be invested in (pun intended)
2. Some Stars can turn into Diamonds
Yes, you can have a diamond the size of a star for yourself, if you could!
When a star like our Sun runs out of fuel, it shrinks to become a white dwarf which is an extremely hot and dense object. Over time, the leftover core of this dwarf star slowly cools down and crystallizes. Hence, turning into a giant cosmic Diamond!
This isn’t a bluff, if life can pertain on Earth then anything is possible in this Universe. You can look it up:
Largest known Space Diamond: A white dwarf named “LUCY” (officially BPM 37093) was discovered, which is located 50 light years away from Earth. Its core is believed to be one of the largest diamonds in the local universe.
Our Sun’s Fate: In about 5 billion years, the Sun will also become a white dwarf, and after trillions of years, it may eventually crystallize into a diamond in space.
Fascinating, right? However, don’t forget that making diamonds is a natural and very slow process, even on Earth. So it is a given that it is going to take way more time to get natural, star-sized diamonds.
Moving onto another essential fact that might come in handy someday, if we aren’t mindful of our precious waterbodies and fail to save water on our planet.
3. There’s a Moon with an Ocean beneath its Surface!
In our own Solar System, the moon of our giant friend Jupiter, namely Europa. It is considered the most exciting place in our solar system because of the hidden ocean beneath its thick ice crust!
It is believed to have a vast subsurface ocean with more than twice the water of all Earth's oceans combined. Since the ice layer insulates the ocean, it may stay in liquid form due to heat from Europa’s interior. This heat is caused due to Jupiter’s gravitational pull and scientists suspect that this ocean may harbor life, as it contains the necessary ingredients such as liquid water, chemical energy, and geological activity.
Would you be thrilled about making some alien friends in the future? Or not?
Another interesting fact is about an object that intrigues everyone who is into Astronomy, Blackholes.
4. Discovery of the First Triple Black Hole System.
Quite recently, in October 2024, astronomers discovered the first known triple star system that includes a black hole!
The system is known as V404 Cygni, located about 8000 light-years away contains a black hole around 10 times the Sun’s mass. This black hole is already known for its active accretion disk and jets, but recently it was revealed that there is a distant third star orbiting the inner binary system.
What is unusual about this is the fact that black holes are typically formed through violent supernova explosions which often give them a strong kick, ejecting them from their original positions. However, in this case, the black hole seems to have formed with almost no kick at all! (less than 5 km/s). Instead of a violent Supernova, this Blackhole seems to have formed quietly, allowing its other companion to stay in orbit.
This challenges what we thought we knew about black hole formation and raises exciting questions. Do you think there could be more triple systems like this out there, hiding in the cosmos?
Moving onto the 5th and our last fact about our precious universe. It’s about a discovery that ignites everyone with insatiable curiosity as well as fuels crazy theories about space, the Cold Spot.
5. There’s a Huge “Cold Spot” in Space!
The universe is full of mysteries, and one of the strangest is The Cold Spot. It is an unusually large and cool region in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) — The afterglow of the Big Bang.
This is an anomaly that spans about 10 degrees across the sky and is cooler than its surroundings, and scientists aren’t entirely sure why! Some believe that it must be due to a Super void, which is typically a massive empty region of space that saps energy from light passing through it. While some suggest something even more mind-blowing, a possible sign of collision between our universe and another universe in the multiverse!
If you care to ponder, would you be interested in solving this puzzle? Drop your take on this in the comments below!
Dear readers, Thank you for taking the time to explore this blog! I truly appreciate your curiosity and interest. See you in the next one!
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