The omnipotent God resides in the seventh heaven or somewhere up in the sky.Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and Viking 1 landed on Mars. Though it is no longer considered a planet, NASA’s New Horizon landed on Pluto, and spacecraft have entered the orbit of many satellites.Humans are slowly progressing in their space journey by visiting planets and collecting things from them. The planets of our solar system consist of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The dwarf planet Pluto was deemed too small to be a planet.New DiscoveriesScientists and researchers always discover new things about space, the universe, and the galaxy. NASA recently started its first astronaut-taxi services with SpaceX. The first mission was on May 30, 2020, with two astronauts from NASA, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. SpaceX lifted to the International Space Station. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, bagged the contract in 2014 to fly at least six missions, using Crew Dragon and the Falcon 9 rocket. So far, SpaceX Dragon has made more than 20 trips to the laboratory orbiting in the thermosphere.With the HARPS-N spectrograph, A. Suárez Mascareño and her team discovered ‘super-Earth’ with the help of the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo off the coast of Spain in 2017. Super-Earth orbits around M dwarf planet every two weeks. This new exoplanet has a mass that is three times the mass of Earth and is located 21 light-years away.In 2020, with the Fermi-Gama Ray Space Telescope, astronomers discovered two giant blobs at the center of the milky way galaxy. Because of their strange placement, extending above and below the milky way, scientists predicted that these Fermi bubbles were around 18 - 34 million years old. The Sag A black hole ingested more than it could hold, and these materials are moving away from the center of the galaxy at the speed of light which keeps their energy intact.Astronomers found the chemical presence of phosphine on Venus using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. Some people believe that this could indicate life on Venus.NASA’s NEOWISE mission discovered an icy comet closely approaching the sun on its way back to the outer solar system. The next Comet NEOWISE will only be visible in another 6,800 years.Astrophysicists at the Institute of Space Sciences and the University of Montreal observed that, like most galaxies, 72 galaxies had supermassive black holes in the center. Recently, with NASA’s Chandra X-ray telescope, an ‘ultramassive’ black hole was discovered. This is 10 times larger than a supermassive black hole and is growing fast.In 2017, researchers discovered that the tectonic plates of Europa, Jupiter’s icy moon, have a balance of oxygen and hydrogen that is similar to Earth, and therefore, could be suitable for life. NASA will launch missions to Jupiter to understand whether the water body beneath is warm enough to support life in the future.A cold spot detected in the radiation left by the Big Bang was confirmed by the Plank Mission of the European Space Agency in 2013. This cold spot could be evidence of a multiverse or support the theory of an infinite number of universes.NASA discovered seven planets that are the size of Earth. These planets are orbiting a dwarf star called TRAPPIST-1. Some scientists believe that at least three of these planets have water and the conditions to support life.Things In SpaceAn orbiting infrared observatory, the Webb (James Webb Space Telescope), has improved sensitivity and covers a longer wavelength than the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA will be using this observatory for the coming decade, which will help thousands of astronomers worldwide.Scientists detected Tau Boötis b, a planet beyond the solar system that contains at least one exoplanet, emitting radio waves. It can help to further the study of exoplanets and their magnetic field.The sun occupies the heliosphere and the space beyond it is interstellar. A new solar mission was launched into space from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to study the bubble that encases the solar system.Gases and dust accumulate due to gravity and start forming a star. Star formation takes millions of years and starts with the collapse of the initial gas clouds.NASA will collaborate with international and commercial partners to continue its presence on the lunar surface of the moon. Artemis’s mission will have the first man of color and the first woman to explore the lunar surface, along with new science and technology. Scientists discovered water on the sunlit surface of the moon, adding mystery about the lunar surface.Two supermassive black holes combined to create an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) about 142 times the mass of the sun. Scientists will research IMBH and its gravitational waves to understand more about the evolution of the black hole.Scientists use infrared light to learn about cosmic dust clouds because they don’t shine in visible light as stars do. This helps scientists to get a complete picture of the universe.On February 18, 2021, Perseverance Rover landed on the red planet, Mars, as a part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. Its key objective was to research astrobiology, including finding signs of past microbial life and signs of habitable conditions on Mars.Neutron stars are small and dense remnants of a star. When a star dies, it loses mass and becomes denser, and collapses in a supernova explosion. Some turn into neutron stars.NASA astronaut Christina Koch broke the record for a woman spending the longest time, 328 days, on the International Space Station.NASA InventionsThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is a part of the United States federal government and was established in 1958. It is an independent agency responsible for aeronautics, space research, and civilian space programs. NASA focuses mainly on the universe and space but has created many machines, products, and computer systems that have entered the commercial market.An invention of NASA, the automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD), has significant life-saving benefits by preventing arrhythmia in patients who suffer from abnormal and erratic heart rhythm. Along with many technical advances, the AICD has helped to lower heart attack rates to 3%.NASA’s Ames Research Center developed a polymeric foam capable of high energy absorption, which was originally designed to protect against injury from a collision. This is known as memory foam and is now found in pillows and mattresses, horse saddles, sports helmets, motorcycles, and automobiles.NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) created a software program called GYPSY-OASIS (GNSS-Inferred Positioning System and Orbit Analysis Simulation Software) which pinpoints a location with accuracy. It is used in geophysical research and also in cell phones, drilling farm operations, and self-driving farm machinery.In 1980, NASA developed a nurturing system that does not require power and can be taken to space with little maintenance needed. They developed nutritional supplement products, which are now used in infant foods. This includes the ingredient previously found only in breast milk and provides significant benefits for the development of eye and heart health, and brain function.In 1990, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) produced a very small camera that fits a spacecraft without compromising quality. This technology is now used in most mobile phones.Another widely used NASA invention was the world’s first laptop computer, the GRiD Compass. Made in 1983 it was first used to track fuel, onboard navigation, and for shuttle data missions.Astronomers of NASA detect alien planets by watching them pass between the stars and Earth.Amazing Facts About Space DiscoveriesThe Hubble Space Telescope has helped astronomers study the mysterious galactic mergers, dark energy around black holes, and distant galaxies. The Hubble celebrates 30 years of discoveries and will last until 2030-2040.Since 1998, the International Space Station has been orbiting Earth, working as a platform for NASA and other international associates.The Hubble telescope revealed the first moon to be discovered orbiting the dwarf planet, Makemake. It is almost lost in the glare of the tiny bright dwarf planet.Chang’e-5, a spacecraft launched by China on November 23, 2020, returned with large moon samples of about 4.4 lbs (2 kg) for scientific study. The last lunar dirt collected was by Soviet Union’s Luna 24 mission which collected 6 oz (170 g) in 1976. A robotic mission was launched from Wenchang Space Launch Centre in the Hainan province on October 24, 2014, and landed back on Earth on October 31, 2014.Space is devoid of matter or vacuum and there is no air to transmit sound. Therefore, when in space, astronauts use radio waves for communication.Throughout the universe, galaxies are scattered and no one knows how many stars there are. Scientists study the stars which are within our galaxy.Though it is further from the sun than Mercury, the hottest planet is Venus, which has a surface temperature of about 842 F (450 C). Since there is no atmosphere for Mercury to regulate its temperature, a high-temperature fluctuation is there. Composed of 75-96% sulfuric acid droplets, Venus’ clouds are thick, and these clouds prevent optical imaging.Jupiter and Saturn, separated by one-tenth of a degree, can be seen in the evening sky after sunset. The alliance between these two planets happens once every two decades.Due to its similarity and proximity to Earth, scientists think there may be life on Mars. Scientists are searching for water and biomarker gases in the atmosphere of Mars through telescopes.A closer examination of a minimoon in 2020 revealed the presence of NASA’s rocket booster which was launched in the ’60s.Halley’s Comet, last visible in 1986, will appear again by 2061, that is once every 75-76 years. Edmond Halley discovered it in 1758.A space suit may weigh 47 lbs (21 kg) and cost about $12,000,000.A neutron star is the tiniest and densest known star, and it can spin up to 600 times per second.The footprints made by Apollo astronauts on the moon will remain there for 100 million years because there is no wind or water present. Any discarded material, rover prints, and spacecraft prints will be there for millions of years.NASA launched the spacecraft Juno to investigate Jupiter scientifically, and it broke the record to be the farthest traveling solar-powered spacecraft.Soviet and Russian carrier rockets, Soyuz, manufactured by Progress Rocket Space Center in Russia, were the most used spacecraft until recently. Soyuz rockets were the exclusive launch vehicles approved to transport astronauts to the International Space Station for the last ten years. On October 17, 2021, a veteran cosmonaut, a director, and a Russian actress returned to Earth after a flight in a Soyuz spacecraft.Metaphorically speaking, the seventh heaven is not far away.
The omnipotent God resides in the seventh heaven or somewhere up in the sky.
