9. Rivers and canyons, Titan
It’s wild to think that there are physical similarities between our
own planet and the moons orbiting some of our solar system neighbors, but as it turns out,
that is the case. In 2013 the Cassini spacecraft from NASA observed Saturn’s epic moon of Titan to
get a clearer picture of what the largest of Saturn's moons' surface looked like.
The results were pretty surprising. Not only does the moon have rivers and canyons like ours,
they’re also made up of some rather funky material.
The rivers are full of methane, meanwhile the canyons contain liquid hydrocarbons,
or liquids that come from natural gas. Measuring 0.5 miles (0.8 km) wide and running up to 1,900
ft (579 m) deep, it’s unclear how they came to be. Erosion is naturally assumed to be a cause,
as that’s what happens on Earth. But this is far from a given.
Other factors such as geological disturbances might be responsible.
These rivers and canyons all head for Titan’s sea of Ligeia Mare,
forming a network that experts have dubbed Vid Flumina, “Flumina” meaning “Rivers”.
While the astonishing natural features run deep, it seems we haven’t even scratched the
surface when it comes to exploring our neighbors amongst the stars.
8. Ice volcanoes, Ceres
While volcanoes are associated with extreme heat, did you know that some can be cold as
well? We’re talking seriously cold! These are what is known as cryovolcanoes and examples of
them have been found in space, on the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres. How are we aware of
this? Because NASA launched a probe called Dawn to check out stuff going down in the asteroid belt.
In 2018 it was reported that a bunch of cryovolcanoes had been spotted on Ceres.
What these volcanoes do is erupt like the regular ones we see on Earth.
However, instead of molten lava, these former peaks let fly with stuff such as water,
methane and even ammonia. We’re not sure which is worse,
blazing hot magma or this cosmic cocktail. You’re in trouble with both options, right?
Once it’s released from the volcano, the contents freeze in the atmosphere.
The Dawn probe has been studying the dwarf planet Ceres for a while and initially noticed
a cryovolcano standing at an incredible 13,000 ft (3962 m) which was called Ahuna Mons. Turns
out this wasn’t the only icy eruption example. But one thing’s for sure, it’s certainly the youngest.
Mind you when we say youngest, it’s all relative. Ahuna Mons is apparently 240 million years old!
Because of its “youthful” age, Ahuna Mons is pretty noticeable. It didn’t look like
there were other ice volcanoes on Ceres but experts reckoned they would have collapsed.
Once they looked at the situation with this in mind they began seeing
the remains of once-proud cryovolcanoes. Dozens of examples that are, staggeringly,
billions of years old once spewed their contents onto the planet’s surface.
This is exciting because where there’s water, it’s possible that life can exist.
Might a volcano be responsible for shining a light on alien life out in the asteroid belt?
Watch this space. Or rather, this particular part of space…
7. Right-angled planets, HD 3167
Planets are generally thought to orbit the sun around the equator. Not all of them do however,
as this cosmic couple demonstrate! First observed in 2016, planets HD 3167 C and HD 3167 D… don’t
you just love names that roll off the tongue… can be found in a solar system 150 light years away.
Existing within the orbit of Mercury, these worlds are at right angles to their sun.
One is tipped toward the north and the other the south,
as opposed to where the equator is in the middle. How come? Well,
good question! One planet takes 30 days to complete an orbit and the other just a single day.
These worlds are classified as “Super-Earths”, because of their comparable size to our planet.
One theory about their crazy trajectory is that a larger planet may have exerted an
influence on them, resulting in this right-angled situation. Either way, it puts a new spin on our
understanding of the universe. Spin, get it? This is a great example of how just when you
think you’ve got the laws of space figured out, along comes something that changes the game.
6. Opportunity robot, Mars
While it’s truly incredible that we can put a robot on the surface of Mars,
that doesn’t mean things will run smoothly.
NASA found this out back in 2018 with their Opportunity rover, nicknamed “Oppy”. It had been
trundling around on the red planet for 14 years till a natural phenomenon put it out of action.
What kind of phenomenon? An epic dust storm that spelled big trouble for poor Oppy!
Because it relied on solar power, and the sun’s rays were shut out by the dust,
it had to go to ground. When that happened, the rover needed to rely on battery power. Mission
control then played a waiting game. Could they make contact with Oppy and rescue the little guy?
The answer to that question is no, sorry to say. Experts don’t know if the robot’s solar panels got
wrecked by dust but that was the last they heard from Oppy. NASA did manage to spot the rover,
sitting in the Valley of Perseverance inside a crater. However, the mission has been declared
officially over. The team gave it till 2019 then waved goodbye to their little friend on Mars.
5. Mysterious exoplanet We’re used to the idea of
planets inside our solar system. Everyone learns about them in school, but naturally there are a
ton of worlds out there beyond Mars, Venus, Saturn and the like. Venture further outside
the boundaries of our solar system and you’ll spot other planets that are called exoplanets.
An exoplanet orbits a star beyond our own Sun of course.
Our solar system exists in a galaxy called the Milky Way in case you needed a refresher.
And believe it or not, several thousand exoplanets have been found in the Milky Way.
Heck, there’s so many that exoplanets are in danger
of becoming just another thing you can see through a telescope.
For something a bit different and more exciting, you need to look beyond the Milky Way to other
galaxies. We hadn’t picked up on any exoplanets outside our little patch of the universe…
until this year it seems! NASA reported detecting signs of an exoplanet in the distant destination
of Messier 51. This is a spiral galaxy situated some 23 million light years away from Earth.
What’s a spiral galaxy? The easiest way to describe it is as a swirl of galactic activity.
Another name for Messier 51 is the Whirlpool Galaxy, which should give you an idea.
What’s notable about this story also is the method used to detect this exoplanet.
Typically a “transit method” is employed, by which disruption to starlight is recorded.
Well in this case the disruption has been recorded via the x-rays coming from the spiral galaxy.
X-rays were studied because they are produced to a significant degree by Messier 51.
By using x-rays, experts might theoretically be able to notice more exoplanets outside the
Milky Way. Just one little thing however. They aren’t 100% sure this is an actual exoplanet.
In order to confirm the discovery, they must wait for the next time x-ray disruption is observed.
We hate to break it to you, but this could take 70 years!
Why so long? That's down to the enormous distance between us and the spiral galaxy. Sorry,
we don’t make the rules. Still, it will be pretty exciting when we find out, right?
Do you think that there could be intelligent life on one of
the many undiscovered exoplanets outside our solar system? Tell us in the comments below,
and take a second to like and subscribe to the channel as well if you haven’t already!
4. Kepler-78b
There are planets out there that are pretty much the same size as
Earth but it can be difficult to work out what they’re like on the surface.
One unique example where we have a good idea of this is Kepler-78b, reported on back in 2016. What
makes it unique is that we’ve got measurements for not only its size but also its mass.
The size was worked out according to the way it blocked light from its sun.
As for the mass, that’s calculated based on something called the radial velocity method.
In essence, looking at how powerful its gravitational pull is,
and whether it makes the sun wobble, as stated in reports. Yes, it’s possible
for a star to wobble! Don’t ask us how that works, it’s a whole video in itself, right?
From this comes the density readings, which indicate the presence of a lot
of rock and iron on Kepler-78b. Located out in a constellation known as Cygnus, the planet is
approx 400 light years away. So, we’re thinking it’ll be a while before we can travel out there
to see the surface for ourselves! 3. Seven planets, TRAPPIST-1
In 2017 NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope picked up a surprising sight, some 40 light years away from
Earth. Not just one but seven exoplanets were observed orbiting a red dwarf star.
There are so many red dwarfs in our Milky Way that they’re classified as the most
common type of star. The star is named TRAPPIST-1, after the TRAPPIST project,
or Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope based in Chile.
So what are these seven exoplanets like? It took a few years for experts to assess what might be down
there but they recently came to the conclusion that they all have very similar terrains.
Remember what we were saying about how Kepler-78b’s dimensions and such were
calculated? It’s the same sort of business here.
The exoplanets are all of low density which experts reasoned may have been due to high levels
of water. However, this doesn’t appear to be the case and that largely the planets appear bone dry.
They’re the same sort of size as Earth but on this initial research
it looks like they’re very different in make up.
2. Mars tsunami Tsunamis cause devastation on our planet,
but is it possible they also happened on Mars? Footage from the red planet shows a pretty dry
looking landscape, so seemingly not. However, research is highlighting the possible triggering
of many tsunamis, back in the days when Mars theoretically had an ocean or network of lakes.
When we say back in the day, we’re talking billions of years.
The more we explore on Mars, the more it seems likely that there were places to splash around.
Talking of making a splash, that is exactly what experts reckon a landslide did in Mars’
ancient history. The slide appears to have taken place on the slope of Olympus Mons,
which is the planet’s biggest geological feature and situated in the northern hemisphere.
It’s an astonishing 16 miles (25 km) high! The presence of dramatic markings,
plus ridges show that an epic tsunami may have washed across the planet’s surface.
How big was the tsunami? It’s estimated at between 25 and 43 miles (40 km & 69 km) long.
The ridges we mentioned earlier were possibly caused by the landslide coming to a halt.
Now we should make clear that this is guesswork, albeit highly educated guesswork.
Still, there has been evidence discovered of similar episodes where objects falling from
the sky made contact with what’s presumed to be a body of water.
Where there’s water, there’s life, so this adds an extra dimension to the discovery. Was an ancient
alien marine ecosystem disturbed by an enormous tsunami? Or are experts misinterpreting the data,
and this is some whole other thing altogether? Whatever’s going on, this is an eye-opening and
surprising discovery that lifts the lid a little further on the mysteries of Mars.
1. Donut Earth What is a donut Earth? Well,
there’s a straightforward answer for that. It’s the Earth, only shaped like a donut. Yes, that’s
really as wild as it sounds! Where does the idea come from? A theory which was reported in 2017.
This suggested that, before our planet became the round shape we know today,
it was more of a disc with a hole in it. Surprised? We don’t blame you!
The new-ish theory states that the formation of Earth began with what they call a “synestia”.
The word was invented from “syn”, or “together”, and then “Estia” who is a goddess of structures.
How is this supposed synestia made? It happens when 2 planets smash into one
another whilst spinning. The momentum is believed to sort of fuse them together,
at which point they develop into a kind of rotating donut. Another curious feature
about this theory is it’s based partly on studying ice skaters and the way they move.
After becoming a spinning donut, the mass then has to cool down.
Following this process, it is thought to form the familiar and spherical shape of a planet.
It doesn’t happen straight away of course. We’re talking around a century for everything
to come together. Then we guess at some point down the line the planet may spin
into another planet and the whole deal starts all over again. Is it possible
we’re sitting on the remains of a couple of planets? That sure is a crazy concept, huh?
Also, if the Earth was created this way, it stands to reason for some that the
Moon could have once been a synestia. All together now, remember the song,
When the Moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie that’s synestia… Okay maybe we’re going a
little overboard there but come on people, they’re saying the world used to be a donut
for cryin’ out loud! Saying it could also have been a pizza pie isn’t a great stretch, right?
Thanks for watching! Are there other surprising discoveries from other
planets you think we left off the list? Let us know in the comments
below and don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already! See you next time! Bye! :)