Astronomers have revealed eight major unanswered mysteries of the Universe which are still puzzling the scientific community. Are you intrigued?
According to the journal Science, unanswered questions vary from the riddle of dark matter to the query of why the Sun is so hot. Indeed, in some cases, even scientists admit that many of these questions about the mysteries of the universe will probably never be answered. And the questions that are answered, will come thanks to astronomical observations, explains Robert Coontz. The biggest mystery concerning scientists is that of dark matter.
“A part of the mystery is that we have no evidence, no indication of whether we will ever find an answer for this,” says Simon White, astrophysicist of Max Planck Institute in Germany.
So, there are many mysteries of the universe that are still confronting scientists. Here are 8 of those enigmas.
1. What is Dark Energy?
This mystery of the universe is there but can not yet be measured or detected. There is little known about this elusive form of energy.
2. What is Dark Matter?
Dark matter is closely related to dark energy. We use this term to describe the “glue” that holds everything in the universe together. However, Adrian Cho, who wrote the essay pertaining to this, believes that in contrast to dark energy, scientists are likely to detect the dark matter particle.
3. Where are the missing Baryons?
In cosmology, 5% of the universe is composed of ordinary matter (baryons), 23% of dark matter, and 72% of dark energy. Baryons are subatomic particles that are created by combinations of three quarks. Together with the mesons, they compose the hadron particle family, i.e. of particles made of quarks.
Baryons have a quantum number which is maintained in all kinds of interactions. Their name comes from the Greek word “heavy” and when it was given, it was believed that these particles had a very large mass compared to the rest of the particles. The most commonly known baryons are protons and neutrons, which are the building blocks of the atomic nucleus.
4. Why do stars explode?
Many processes of the formation of stars and the solar system are known by scientists but are not really understood. What happens to a star when it explodes, forming what is known as a supernova? This also remains one of the most puzzling mysteries of the universe.
5. What re-ionized the universe?
6. What is the source of the most energetic cosmic rays?
We are bombarded by them every day, but researchers still cannot agree on their source.
7. Why is our solar system so “weird”?
Is there some logic in our solar system or it is dominated by chaos and chance? Nobody really knows.
8. Why is the Sun’s corona so hot?
Those who study the Sun still do not know. The corona is the outermost layer of the core of the Sun, but it is incredibly hot and the reason for this is a mystery.
We are left to question many mysteries of the universe
I believe, more than receiving all the answers, that questions make life more interesting. Just as that mysterious person you met seems so intriguing, so are all the open-ended theories of our universe. I am sure that we will encounter even more great mysteries of the universe which will astound us and leave us in awe. After all, we are only tiny specks instilled into such uncharted territory. Puts it all into perspective now, doesn’t it?
