C O NT E NT S introduction dark matter & dark energy solar system – size relativity
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stars – size relativity black holes
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designed by t yler wait
INTR O D U C T I O N the universe is simply defined as the totality of existence, but what does this include? Considering that the size is unknown and potentially infinite, we can only answer so much. Strange Matter – A Collection of Space Oddities will briefly touch on some of the most intriguing and mysterious observations about the known Universe, including dark energy, black holes, and more.
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UN∙I∙VERSE all existing matter and space considered as a whole; the cosmos.
ODD∙I∙TY the quality of being strange or peculiar.
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D A M A T + D A E N E dark energy and dark matter; because of their names, it’s easy to confuse the two. While they may be related, their effects are quite different. In brief, dark matter attracts and dark energy repels. While dark matter pulls matter inward, dark energy pushes it outward. Also, while dark energy shows itself only on the largest cosmic scale, dark matter exerts its influence on individual galaxies as well as the universe at large. The leading theory says that dark matter consists of a type of subatomic particle that has not yet been detected, although upcoming experiments with the world’s most powerful particle accelerator may reveal its presence. Dark matter and dark energy appear to be competing forces in our universe. ∙ III ∙
R T E A R R G MATTER IN SPAC E dark energy dark matter visible matter
73% 23% 4%
information provided by nasa
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K R K Y
“It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.” – neil armstrong
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SI Z E RE L AT I V I T Y I This information graphic introduces the size relativity within our solar system, including Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Venus, Mercury, and the Sun.
THE SOLA R SYSTEM diameter contents
1,921.56 au 8 planets, 1 star 1 au = 92,955,807.273 mi
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SI Z E R E L AT I V I T Y II This information graphic approximately displays the relative size between our own Sun and VY Canis Majoris, the largest known star. The diameter of Earth’s orbit is represented by the dotted perimeter below.
THE SUN diameter distance to earth
1,392,684 km 92,960,000 mi
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VY CA NI S MAJORI S diameter distance to earth
1,975,000,000 km 2.502232118 ∙1016 mi
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BLAC K HOLES
a black hole is an area in space where there is a huge amount of mass in a very small space. The gravity of this mass is so great that everything in the area is pulled toward the mass. Even light, with its tiny mass, is pulled into the center of the hole. No object can escape the gravitational pull of a black hole. A black hole is born when an object becomes unable to withstand the compressing force of its own gravity. Many objects, including our Earth and Sun, will never become black holes. Their gravity is not sufficient to overpower the atomic and nuclear forces of their interiors, which resist compression. ∙ IX ∙
“Black holes are where God divided by zero.” – albert einstein
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strange matter – a collection of space oddities published & designed by tyler wait information accessed april 2013 & provided by: nasa.gov, space.com, nationalgeographic.com copyright Š 2013