Space, also referred to as outer space, is the area that lies beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. Although we may think of space as a void, there are numerous celestial bodies, including stars, planets, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids. The thought that comes to mind is whether there is an end to space’s limit. So, is there an end to space?
As of now, it is believed that there is no end to space. Although there is no definite answer to this, many scientists believe that space could extend forever, and we would continue passing new galaxies as we move outwards in all directions.
Continue reading to learn more about why scientists believe that space does not end!
Is There An End To Space?
Even though there is no confirmed answer to this, there are several reasons why scientists and theorists believe that space does not end. As science advances technologically, newer and more efficient rockets and rovers are built. These inventions allow us to learn more about space and the universe as they can go further inside it.
However, because we discover new information about what lies in the universe every few years, scientists believe that it would be incorrect to assume that space has an end as we have not discovered it all yet.
Another reason why scientists believe that space has no end is that light from space takes a long time to reach us. As the universe is estimated to be 13.8 billion years old, it is possible that anything that exists beyond 13.8 light years has not yet reached us.
This does not mean that nothing exists beyond these light years, but simply that we have not seen it. There are chances that new discoveries might be made a few decades later as better technology is invented.
Additionally, some scientists believe that there is a possibility for the universe to “wrap back on itself.” To understand this, we can use the example of a globe. Starting at a point if we continue to walk in any direction, we will eventually reach the starting point. This means that going around the globe; we will end up at the place we began from.
Similarly, although some believe this would be true for the universe, there is no way to know for sure because it is much bigger than our globe and cannot reach the end.
To understand this further, we will delve deeper into recent discoveries about space.
You can also take a look at this interesting video, which expounds on the expansion of the universe, and humanities own limits:
Recent Discoveries About Space
With time, we understand space and our universe in greater detail using the latest technology.
A Black Hole Near Earth
Black holes are regions in space where the pull of gravity acts so strongly that light cannot get out. This is because all matter inside black holes is compressed into a small space. People are unable to see black holes as light is absent. Since matter is squeezed into an infinitely small point, there are no possibilities of time and space.
In 2021, scientists spotted a new black hole, the Unicorn, only 1500 light-years away from Earth. Its discovery was made possible because of the unusual behavior of its neighboring star, where the light intensity continuously shifted. This hinted that another object was pulling on this star, and the Unicorn was found.
The Unicorn is a lightweight black hole with only three solar masses. Its name stems from how rare it is to find a black hole and that it is the only known black hole so close to Earth.
The Bernadinelli-Bernstein Comet
Last year, two scientists found the largest-known comet. While studying objects that lie beyond Neptune’s orbit, they discovered a comet that is 10 times wider and 1000 more massive than any previously known comets. However, this comet has not orbited the Sun since 3 million years ago.
Scientists will have to wait a decade to watch it advance toward the Sun. This is because comets originate very far away in the “Oort Cloud,” which is among the farthest areas of the solar system. It can take comets thousands of years to complete their journey around the sun because they travel in elliptical orbits in the universe.
Even when the Bernadinelli-Bernstein Comet approaches the Sun in 2031, it will be as far as Saturn’s orbit. However, scientists will be able to estimate its size and composition more accurately.
A New Moon Around Jupiter
Jupiter is a giant planet with a strong gravitational force that pulls numerous objects toward it. Thus, unlike Earth, having only one moon, Jupiter has around 79. Among its several unidentified moons, an astronomer discovered a new moon around Jupiter in 2021.
The astronomer Kai Ly used information from a data set in 2003 to learn about this Jovian moon’s existence. Then, he used the telescope Sabaru to confirm this moon’s orbit around Jupiter. Part of the Carme group of Jovian moons, it was named EJc0061. It orbits Jupiter in a tilting and opposing direction from the planet’s own rotation.
Launching Of The James Webb Space Telescope
To continue our exploration of the universe more extensively, the James Webb Space Telescope was inaugurated into space in December 2021. It was visioned even before the Hubble Space Telescope was launched and is estimated to have cost $10 billion.
The James Webb Space Telescope will observe the universe from a perch that lies around one million miles away from Earth. This is a much greater distance than its predecessor Hubble Space Telescope’s distance of a few hundred miles.
As scientists believe that there is no end to space, this telescope will help undercover more objects in our solar system and the universe in greater detail.
Final Takeaway
The simple answer to this frequently asked question is that space has no end. Several reasons lead to this belief, including that there are more technological advances to be made for a deeper understanding of space, and light reaches us at a speed of 13.8 billion light years.
Also, new discoveries confirm that we do not yet know about everything that lies in space.
