The universe is huge and scary. Not only because we, figuratively speaking, barely scratched the surface of what is beyond our blue-green ball with the tip of our finger. But also because most of what we’ve discovered can kill us instantly and without regret. Here are the 10 scariest things in the known universe
10. Zombie stars come back to life by stealing matter from neighboring stars
Such stars – white dwarfs – are called “Type Ia Supernovae” (Ia Supernovas). They are almost dead, but they can be reborn if they are in a close binary system. In this case, the flow of matter from the donor star to the white dwarf can begin. And so it will continue until the “star zombie” sucks out enough matter to become a supernova and spew its “guts” throughout the universe.
9. Cannibal Galaxies
Cannibalism is a taboo topic in most places on Earth. However, in the boundless depths of space there are cannibals, always ready to devour smaller “relatives”. And one of these monsters is relatively close to us. About two billion years ago, the Andromeda galaxy actually devoured the sister galaxy of the Milky Way. And approximately 4.5 billion years later, the same fate awaits the Milky Way. Whoever lives to see this moment will have an amazing light show!
8. The coldest place in the universe
It’s not easy to live in the coldest city in the world. But there are much colder places in the universe. Here’s how the Boomerang nebula, whose temperature is -272 °C. In appearance, this nebula resembles a bow tie, but it could only be worn by Mr. Frost on an unimaginably huge scale. It owes its formation to the flow of gas from a central star or an entire star system. It is moving at a speed of 600,000 km/h, while rapidly expanding. Because of this expansion, it’s so cold in the nebula. This may not be the scariest part of space, but it can’t be called a resort either.
7. Harmony of beauty and death on the planet HD 189733 A b
In the constellation of Chanterelles there is a blue planet on which it rains from molten glass. Due to its proximity to the parent star, the surface temperature of HD 189733 A b reaches 930 C on the light side and 425 C on the dark side. Obviously, this beautiful planet will kill you instantly if you decide to walk on its surface. The initial hypothesis was that there was a lot of water in the atmosphere of this planet. However, later studies have found out that the colors of HD 189733 A b are due to the presence of silicate particles in its atmosphere. They scatter visible light in the blue part of the spectrum.
6. The Great Attractor
The Great attractor, aka the Great Center of Attraction, is a real astrological anomaly. It is something lying in the far corners of space, and has a huge gravitational attraction. It captures almost everything that is nearby. The mass of the Great Attractor is 10 quadrillion times the mass of the Sun. It becomes strange that the discovered mass of galactic clusters is not enough to justify such a large gravitational attraction. The avoidance zone is an area in the plane of the Milky Way that is so densely occupied by stars, galaxies and cosmic dust that it obscures visible light, which is why scientists cannot observe distant galaxies. This is important because that is where the Great Attractor is located. And behind it, in the area of the Shepley supercluster, an even more massive cluster of galaxies has been found. What’s so scary about that? The very existence of the Great Attractor shows how little we know about outer space, and that in every corner of the universe there are potential variables in the great game of humanity and the cosmos.
5. The darkest planet in the universe TrEs-2b is an incredibly sinister place, similar to cosmic Hell.
This black gas giant reflects less than 1% of all light that enters from the outside. Therefore, TrEs-2b was officially named the darkest planet ever discovered by NASA. Its impenetrable darkness is partly due to the absorption of light by gases that occupy most of the planet’s surface. Despite this, astronomers are still not quite sure how this planet can be so incredibly dark and yet incredibly hot. TrES-2b glows bright red because its surface is heated to 1100 degrees Celsius. When commercial intergalactic travel becomes a reality, it’s safe to assume that TrES-2b won’t be a very popular vacation destination.
4. A trillion lightning bolts in a black hole
One of the most incredible things in the universe is located in the center of a galaxy known as 3C303. A supermassive black hole has been discovered there, which is not uncommon in the case of most galaxies. It is made special by magnetic fields that generate the largest electric current in the entire history of the universe. – 10 to the 18th degree ampere. This electric current is equivalent to one trillion lightning bolts on Earth combined. In other words, this current can do little more than make the hair stand on end. Lightning itself can be quite scary, especially at close range. This can be witnessed by anyone who has ever faced a strong storm. But remember that even the strongest storms on our planet are just child’s play for this great leviathan of electricity that is beyond the stars.
3. The Eridani Super Void
Another scientific anomaly that has the potential to turn everything we know about space upside down is the Eridani Super Void or the Relict Cold Spot. It is a huge and completely empty area in space. Its width is about 500 million light-years, and its depth is billions of light-years, and there are no traces of either ordinary matter or dark matter in it. Absolute nothing. Moreover, the enormous size of the Super Void makes it the largest thing in our universe discovered by NASA to date. Even more frightening is that scientists do not have clear answers about how this empty pocket appeared. Some researchers even suggest that the Super Void is the creation of a giant black hole, or even the imprint of another universe located outside of ours.
2. Hyperspeed stars
This name is given to stars rushing through space at breakneck speed. This happens when a pair of stars is captured by the gravitational pull of their galaxy’s black hole. While one of these stars simply disappears into the void, the other is ejected into space as a result of a massive and sudden change in gravity at a speed reaching 10,000 kilometers per second. Hyperspeed stars travel so fast that they are able to free themselves from gravity and travel through the universe without restrictions. Imagine, if you will, a massive sun that quickly penetrates through space like a knife through butter. Imagine the devastation this could cause to any poor planet lying in its path. And worst of all, these stars are more than just a concept: they are reality.
1. Wandering black holes
Black holes, as most people know, are a region of space-time that has such a strong gravitational attraction that it does not release objects moving at the speed of light. Even the quanta of light itself disappear in it. In general, black holes are exceptionally scary in themselves. On the other hand, at least most of them are completely satisfied with their position and remain motionless. However, there are black holes that have a more adventurous character. They are known as wandering black holes. These black holes travel aimlessly throughout the universe, absorbing everything and everything in their path. Even more alarming is that they are moving at a speed of about 5,000,000 kilometers per hour, or about 1,389 kilometers per second. And no one knows what’s on the other side of the black hole. At least, if you stand in the way of an accelerating star, the result will be obvious. But the mysterious world eaters are a completely different story, and the fact that some of them are on the move does not inspire optimism.
