“Strangest Objects in Space: From Mysterious Radio Signals to Galaxies without Dark Matter”

SPACE — There’s no doubting the fact that the universe is strange. Just look outside and you’ll find all sorts of strange flora and fauna reproducing themselves, crawling over a blue ball of semi-molten rock covered in a thin, hard shell and enveloped by a thin layer of gas. But our planet represents only a small fraction of the strange phenomena that can be found throughout the cosmos, and every day astronomers discover new surprises. The following are some of the strangest objects in space.

Mysterious Radio Signal

Since 2007, researchers have received very strong and bright radio signals that last only a few milliseconds. These mysterious flashes are called fast radio bursts (FRBs), and they appear to originate from billions of light years away. Recently, scientists managed to catch a repeating FRB, which flashes six times in a row. It is the second signal that has ever been seen and one that could help scientists unravel this mystery.

Nuclear Paste

The strongest substance in the universe was formed from the remains of dead stars. According to the simulations, the protons and neutrons in the husk of a shrinking star can be subjected to tremendous gravitational pressure, which squeezes it into a linguine-like crumpled material (4 mm wide pasta) which will then break apart. However, only if you give it 10 billion times the force needed, to be able to destroy it.

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Haumea Has a Ring

The dwarf planet Haumea, which orbits within the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune, is already unusual. It has a strange elongated shape, and Haumea’s two moons one day last only 4 hours, making it the fastest rotating large object in the solar system. But in 2017, Haumea got even stranger when astronomers noticed a very thin ring orbiting around it, as it passed in front of a star. Most likely, the ring was the result of a collision in Haumea’s past.

Moon Orbiting the Moon

What’s nicer than the moon is the moon that orbits the moon, which in internet parlance is called moonmoon. Also known as submoons, moonitos, grandmoons, moonettes, and moooons, moonmoons are still theoretical objects. However, recent calculations show that there is nothing impossible about its formation. Maybe one day astronomers will find it.

Galaxies Without Dark Matter

Dark matter, an unknown substance that makes up 85 percent of all matter in the universe. Apart from being mysterious, it is also a very strange material. However, researchers are at least certain of one thing: dark matter is everywhere. However, scientists are still looking for answers as to why the strange galaxy they saw in March 2018 doesn’t appear to contain dark matter. Subsequent research indicated that the celestial oddities would still revolve around the dark matter problem, although the findings paradoxically led to an alternative theory that dark matter does not exist at all. This problem will be a big job for astronomers in the future.

Strangest Star

When astronomer Tabetha Boyajian of Louisiana State University and her colleagues first saw the star KIC 846285, they were baffled. Nicknamed Tabby’s star, the object will dim at irregular and long intervals, sometimes up to 22 percent of its brightness.

Various theories have been put forward, including the possibility that it is not a star, but an alien megastructure. But currently, most researchers believe that the star is surrounded by a ring of abnormal dust that causes the darkening.