Space is a bizarre thing for humans to comprehend.
And this is probably why it never fails to captivate us, with its vast expanse and mysteriousness. But among the billions of stars, galaxies and nebulae, a few oddities really stand out.
Space mag, Astronomy, has listed what it deems the weirdest objects in space. These cosmic quirks defy our understanding of the universe, reminding us that there's so much more to learn.
So here they are, in no particular order, as each one is just as peculiar as the next...
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1. Sagittarius A*
First on the magazine’s list is the enigmatic black hole Sagittarius A* (also known as Sgr A*), which lies at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy.
Black holes are largely grouped into two sizes: small remnants of collapsed stars or gigantic monsters with the mass of millions of suns. What makes Sgr A* fascinating is that it falls into the latter category, with a weight of about four million solar masses. Despite its immense size, it's surprisingly quiet. How foreboding.
Sgr A* challenges our current understanding of physics and continues to intrigue astronomers with its odd characteristics.
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2. Pulsar planets
Next up, we have pulsar planets, particularly those known as PSR B1257+12 in the constellation Virgo. Discovered in 1992, these were the first exoplanets found beyond our solar system, orbiting a millisecond pulsar - a super-dense neutron star spinning incredibly fast.
The discovery was made using the Arecibo radio observatory, which was decommissioned in 2020. It found that the planets around PSR B1257+12 endure a harsh environment of X-ray and gamma ray radiation, making their existence all the more fascinating.
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3. Hoag’s Object
Third on the list is Hoag’s Object - a galaxy quite like no other. Discovered by astronomer Arthur Hoag in 1950, it's characterized by a distinctive ring of stars, dust and gas surrounding a yellow core.
What makes Hoag’s Object special is the absence of the familiar spiral pattern seen in most galaxies. Instead, its nucleus floats isolated in space, with a ring of billions of stars circling it from a vast distance.
Its unique structure continues to baffle astronomers while also challenging our understanding of galactic formation.
4. Fermi bubbles
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Last but not least, we have the rathe cutely named Fermi bubbles, which were discovered by NASA’s super-powerful Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope in 2010.
These immense bubbles of gamma rays emanate from our Milky Way's center, expanding at ridiculous speeds. What makes them even more peculiar is that, instead of being centered on the galactic core, they hover above and below it, forming a peculiar hourglass shape. The origin and nature of these bubbles remain a mystery to experts, only adding to the long list of cosmic phenomena that humans have yet to fully understand.
If there’s one thing we know about the universe, it’s that it’s a treasure trove of weird and wonderful things - and these four oddities are just the tip of the iceberg. As we continue to explore the cosmos with increasingly powerful telescopes and tech, who knows what other strange and fascinating oddities we’ll uncover?