Does outer space end?
When someone mentions “outer space,” what do you think of? Perhaps the sun, stars, moons and planets among a pitch-black sky. What many fail to think about is how outer space is actually defined. The definition of space has been contested for decades, ever since space exploration started in the mid-20th century. Now that more people are interested in space and venturing into this great unknown, the debate is heating up again.
Space exploration is an issue that was contested during the Cold War of the 1900s, when major global powers started sending astronauts to space. This prompted people to ask whether there needed to be a strict definition for outer space. Some countries argued that a definition was needed, especially because there was an emergence of space programs. Other countries, like the US, stated that there was no need for such a definition. International treaties even said that space is free for any and all to explore.
In the 1900s, Hungarian physicist Theodore von Karman decided to venture into this area of research. He determined that the boundary of space was around 80 km above sea level. It is not considered an imaginary boundary. The Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) also defines space to be around 100 km above sea level. However, the US Air Force and NASA generally grant rocket wings to flyers who go higher than 80 km above the sea level as their boundary. This boundary is still contested to this day.
Another question that people often ask is whether outer space ends or not. The sky, as we know it, extends about 20 miles above the Earth. Past that is space, simply put. Just as it is called, space has very few molecules and seems to stretch endlessly. Scientists often wonder what would happen if someone just kept venturing further and further away from Earth and into outer space. It might be an impossible task right now, since things often get lost in space, but with the rapid advancement of technology, it could become a reality in the future.
What we think the Universe looks like.
When first venturing into space, and nearer to Earth, one will find what we learn about as children in school. Our Earth is part of a group of planets that orbit the sun. Around the planets and the sun are asteroids and comets, and Earth’s moon. Besides the sun, which is one big star, there are hundreds of billions of other stars. However, these stars are so far away that it would take thousands of years to reach them. Scientists have estimated that each star has its own orbiting planets.
There are many theories about what is really out there. Most of the space is empty with stray molecules and dark matter. However, because of the presence of faraway stars, there are possibly other galaxies. With the possibilities of tons of other galaxies that are currently out of reach, there is even a high chance that there are living things on other planets. The galaxies exist in every direction and there is even a theory that new space is being added as time goes on. Many scientists have agreed that there is no end to space as there are galaxies in every direction.
Some scientists also think that the further one ventures out into outer space, the universe could even wrap back around on itself and one would reach back where they started. Space is filled with possibilities and there are always curious minds, eager to go into space or continue researching it. Outer space is a topic that people will always be interested and hopefully scientists will be able to find answers to these questions in the future. They are already making strides with extensive research and dozens of new space programs. Or maybe no one will ever find an answer and we will always be left wondering about what exists out there.
SOURCES:
Nadia Drake – Where, exactly, is the edge of space? It depends on who you ask.
Jack Singal – Does outer space end – or go on forever?
https://theconversation.com/does-outer-space-end-or-go-on-forever-162333
IMAGES:
Have We Mismeasured the Universe? [Scientific American]
