Space Oddities

1. Dark Matter Mystery: About 85% of the matter in the universe is made up of
dark matter, yet scientists are still trying to understand its nature. It neither
emits nor reflects light, making it invisible and elusive.
2. Twins and Space Travel: NASA once studied identical twins to explore the
effects of space travel. Astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year aboard the
International Space Station, while his twin brother Mark remained on Earth.
The study aimed to understand the impact of extended space missions on the
human body.
3. The Moon's Slow Escape: The Moon is gradually moving away from Earth. It
drifts about 3.8 centimeters (1.5 inches) farther away each year. This
phenomenon is attributed to the transfer of Earth's rotational energy to the
Moon.
4. Voyager 1's Interstellar Journey: Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 is the farthest
human-made object from Earth. In 2012, it entered interstellar space,
becoming the first spacecraft to venture beyond our solar system.
5. Cosmic Symmetry: The cosmic microwave background radiation, a remnant
of the Big Bang, is nearly uniform in all directions. This symmetry poses a
challenge, as opposite sides of the observable universe have never had the
chance to interact, raising questions about how they reached the same
temperature.