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Questions tagged [space]

The near-vacuum extending between the planets and stars, containing small amounts of gas and dust. Also called outer space to refer to the physical universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere.

The near-vacuum extending between the planets and stars, containing small amounts of gas and dust. Also called outer space to refer to the physical universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere.

Since the word space has many different meanings (e.g. it is a set in mathematics, e.g. vector space, manifold, etc.), the space tag should be substituted with better tags if possible. E.g.

  1. In case of a vacuum, use the tag instead.

  2. In case of a spaceships, use e.g. one of the , and tags.

  3. and so forth.

546 questions
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If I point a torch up, would the photons hit anything?

If I point my torch up, the photons leave the atmosphere. They might hit the sun, moon or some clouds. If they miss all this, what would they likely hit - if anything?
Tim
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An electromagnetic space elevator?

If you surround the equator with a continuous Niobium Tin superconductor ring, and ran somewhere near but less than the maximum current density through, the magnetic field of the Earth would support the ring at low Earth orbit. Could such a ring…
Ron Maimon
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Is there something like a fixed absolute position in space

Imagine a spacecraft floating around and everything else in the universe gone. Could the people on the spacecraft figure out if they are sitting in one place or are moving in the nothingness without any reference point to use for measurements?
nhkode
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How do spacecraft cameras work?

When I look at pictures taken by a modern spacecraft (like that one showing the surface of Titan: and taken by Cassini) I kinda understand how they might be produced. There might be some kind of CCD sensor installed and the data is later…
Andrei Андрей Листочкин
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Proportional Relationship Between Velocity and Radius of a Balloon? Radius of a Parachute?

So I need to know the proportional relationship between velocity and radius of a parachute. I am building a near-space balloon in physics class and have to do some claculations. How do I do so using the drag force equation? Also, what equation and…
Allan Bearing
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How can you work out the most efficient path of a space shuttle going into space, taking into account gravity and atmosphere loss?

Taking into account gravity and atmosphere loss acting on the shuttle, how would you be able to plot a graph of horizontal distance against vertical altitude of a spacecraft going into orbit? Could you first plot a standard curve and change it to…
piptheninjafrog
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Space and absolute 0

If two objects like black holes or soild matter are separated by space, let's assume billions and billions of light years. While all other possible energy has left the area, and no new sources. Like a universe in a heat death. If no more energy is…
user102210
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Is it possible to completely void space, and if we can would photons travel at an infinite velocity?

After many talks with my physics professor over the span of a few weeks last semester he told me about what he called "the sea of space." He explained to me that space isn't really a vacuum but instead filled with tons of "imaginary" particles that…
Sponge Bob
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Is it possible to create nothing?

Is it possible to create nothing? Lets say you take a cube serving only as a a shell. Then expanded the cube. Or a balloon, the size of really really small. Then expanded the balloon using outside forces to pull on the exterior. Could it be possible…
CoolQuestionsGuy
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Solar System and the Plane of our Galaxy

Why do all of the space probes launched travel within the plane of the solar system? Can we direct a probe perpendicular to the plane of the solar system and galaxy.
Keith
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why isn't all space expanding?

Examining the metric tensor used to explain expansion, I see no reason why the expansion should not occur everywhere, i.e. between molecules, between the planets, between the stars in a galaxy, etc. Yet apparently, only the galaxies are "locked…
Dick Swenson
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Seeing ourselves in the past

If we can see billions of light years into space how do we know we're not looking at our galaxy in the past?
user110102