[66] This region contains material left over from previous crewed and uncrewed launches that are a potential hazard to spacecraft. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. … noun. Despite the drafting of UN resolutions for the peaceful uses of outer space, anti-satellite weapons have been tested in Earth orbit. [33] Cosmic rays can damage electronic components and pose a health threat to space travelers. Maybe you've always been entranced by outer space, or the prospect of having a child is making you think about our place in the universe. [86] The tally of molecules discovered through radio astronomy is steadily increasing at the rate of about four new species per year. This concept built upon a 5th-century BCE ontological argument by the Greek philosopher Parmenides, who denied the possible existence of a void in space. Starr. For example, the temperature in the Boomerang Nebula is 1 K,[29] while the solar corona reaches temperatures over 1.2–2.6 million K.[30], Magnetic fields have been detected in the space around just about every class of celestial object. [37] Seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum germinated after being exposed to space for 1.5 years. As of 2017, 105 state parties have either ratified or acceded to the treaty. [81], Interplanetary space contains the magnetic field generated by the Sun. Journey through this collection of over 100 celestial baby names – inspired by the galaxy, stars and constellations, planets and their moons, astronauts, space travel, and more. Since that time, uncrewed spacecraft have successfully examined each of the Solar System's planets, as well their moons and many minor planets and comets. [148] The first fly-by of Mars was by Mariner 4 in 1964. For a low Earth orbit, this velocity is about 7,800 m/s (28,100 km/h; 17,400 mph);[98] by contrast, the fastest piloted airplane speed ever achieved (excluding speeds achieved by deorbiting spacecraft) was 2,200 m/s (7,900 km/h; 4,900 mph) in 1967 by the North American X-15. Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. Species of lichen carried on the ESA BIOPAN facility survived exposure for ten days in 2007. Further research is needed to assess the radiation hazards and determine suitable countermeasures. This status as a common heritage of mankind has been used, though not without opposition, to enforce the right to access and shared use of outer space for all nations equally, particularly non-spacefaring nations. The treaty states that outer space is free for all nation states to explore and is not subject to claims of national sovereignty, calling outer space the "province of all mankind". Star formation in spiral galaxies can generate small-scale dynamos, creating turbulent magnetic field strengths of around 5–10 μG. – Aerospace Engineering, Aviation News, Salary, Jobs and Museums", "Survival of Plant Seeds, Their UV Screens, and nptII DNA for 18 Months Outside the International Space Station", "How do we know when Voyager reaches interstellar space? [54] The energy of such particles is significantly diminished by the shielding provided by the walls of a spacecraft and can be further diminished by water containers and other barriers.The impact of the cosmic rays upon the shielding produces additional radiation that can affect the crew. [18][19] The low density of matter in outer space means that electromagnetic radiation can travel great distances without being scattered: the mean free path of a photon in intergalactic space is about 1023 km, or 10 billion light years. It revealed the presence of the solar wind and performed the first fly-by of Venus, although contact was lost before reaching Venus. 1. outer space - any location outside the Earth's atmosphere; "the astronauts walked in outer space without a tether"; "the first major milestone in space exploration was in 1957, when the USSR's Sputnik 1 orbited the Earth". The physical universe beyond the earth's atmosphere. The surviving books of the Hsüan Yeh school said that the heavens were boundless, "empty and void of substance". The first humans to escape low-Earth orbit were Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders in 1968 on board the U.S. Apollo 8, which achieved lunar orbit[145] and reached a maximum distance of 377,349 km (234,474 mi) from the Earth. [88], When stars are moving at sufficiently high peculiar velocities, their astrospheres can generate bow shocks as they collide with the interstellar medium. German physicist Erich Regener used the total measured energy of cosmic rays to estimate an intergalactic temperature of 2.8 K in 1933. outer space meaning: 1. the part of space that is very far away from Earth 2. the part of space that is very far away…. The low density of matter in outer space means that electromagnetic radiationcan travel great distances without … He believed that the Universe, while not infinite, could not be held as finite as it lacked any bounds within which it could be contained. [20] In spite of this, extinction, which is the absorption and scattering of photons by dust and gas, is an important factor in galactic and intergalactic astronomy. Accessed 22 Dec. 2020. Deep space is defined by the United States government and others as any region beyond cislunar space. The Local Bubble contains dozens of warm interstellar clouds with temperatures of up to 7,000 K and radii of 0.5–5 pc. [1] The plasma between galaxies accounts for about half of the baryonic (ordinary) matter in the universe; it has a number density of less than one hydrogen atom per cubic metre and a temperature of millions of kelvins. Outer Space. [120], The Italian scientist Galileo Galilei knew that air had mass and so was subject to gravity. noun. Cambridge Dictionary +Plus They launched the craft into outer space. [93] This material is called the intergalactic medium (IGM). [53] On a round-trip Mars mission lasting three years, a large fraction of the cells in an astronaut's body would be traversed and potentially damaged by high energy nuclei. Lesser symptoms include loss of body mass, nasal congestion, sleep disturbance, and puffiness of the face. [64] Magnetic storms can also be a hazard to astronauts, even in low Earth orbit. Proposed concepts for addressing this issue include, fully reusable launch systems, non-rocket spacelaunch, momentum exchange tethers, and space elevators. [126] This concept of an aether originated with ancient Greek philosophers, including Aristotle, who conceived of it as the medium through which the heavenly bodies move. In 1640, he demonstrated that an established force resisted the formation of a vacuum. [22] The Earth's atmospheric pressure drops to about 0.032 Pa at 100 kilometres (62 miles) of altitude,[23] compared to 100,000 Pa for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) definition of standard pressure. These plasmas form a medium from which storm-like disturbances powered by the solar wind can drive electrical currents into the Earth's upper atmosphere. [80] A cloud of interplanetary dust is visible at night as a faint band called the zodiacal light. I have such a hard time interpreting "Outer Space". [151] Not every location in space is ideal for a telescope. This treaty precludes any claims of national sovereignty and permits all states to freely explore outer space. (not in technical usage) any region of space beyond the atmosphere of the earth. Other proposed interstellar propulsion systems include light sails, ramjets, and beam-powered propulsion. Outer space does not begin at a definite altitude above the Earth's surface. That's not to say that space is empty, however. Learn a new word every day. Noun. [137] American physicists Ralph Alpher and Robert Herman predicted 5 K for the temperature of space in 1948, based on the gradual decrease in background energy following the then-new Big Bang theory. [156] An important factor in the total expense is the high cost of placing mass into Earth orbit: $8,000–$25,000 per kg, according to a 2006 estimate (allowing for inflation since then). Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? [129][130], The first professional astronomer to support the concept of an infinite Universe was the Englishman Thomas Digges in 1576. (There is quite likely a correspondingly large number of neutrinos called the cosmic neutrino background. [138] The expression outer space was used as an astronomical term by Alexander von Humboldt in 1845. An ionized helium atom can then split relatively abundant carbon monoxide to produce ionized carbon, which in turn can lead to organic chemical reactions. [91], Surrounding and stretching between galaxies, there is a rarefied plasma[92] that is organized in a galactic filamentary structure. Studies of the large scale distribution of galaxies show that the Universe has a foam-like structure, with groups and clusters of galaxies lying along filaments that occupy about a tenth of the total space. The Outer Space Treaty provides the basic framework on international space law, including the following principles: the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind; outer space shall be … The Kármán line, an altitude of 100 km (62 mi) above sea level,[7][8] is conventionally used as the start of outer space in space treaties and for aerospace records keeping. Longer-term exposure to weightlessness results in muscle atrophy and deterioration of the skeleton, or spaceflight osteopenia. [127], The concept of a Universe filled with a luminiferous aether retained support among some scientists until the early 20th century. The Davis–Greenstein effect causes elongated dust grains to align themselves with a galaxy's magnetic field, resulting in weak optical polarization. It has effectively no friction, allowing stars, planets, and moons to move freely along their ideal orbits, following the initial formation stage. [48] Supplemental oxygen is needed at 8 km (5 mi) to provide enough oxygen for breathing and to prevent water loss, while above 20 km (12 mi) pressure suits are essential to prevent ebullism. This decrease in pressure was further demonstrated by carrying a half-full balloon up a mountain and watching it gradually expand, then contract upon descent. [77] The heliopause in turn deflects away low-energy galactic cosmic rays, with this modulation effect peaking during solar maximum. [10] Matter that remained following the initial expansion has since undergone gravitational collapse to create stars, galaxies and other astronomical objects, leaving behind a deep vacuum that forms what is now called outer space. [144] This was followed by the first human spaceflight in 1961, when Yuri Gagarin was sent into orbit on Vostok 1. It has effectively no friction, allowing stars, planets, and moons to move freely along their ideal orbits, following the initial formation stage. The duration of space sickness varies, but it typically lasts for 1–3 days, after which the body adjusts to the new environment. [153], Uncrewed spacecraft in Earth orbit are an essential technology of modern civilization. Geomagnetic storms can disturb two regions of geospace, the radiation belts and the ionosphere. The altitude where atmospheric pressure matches the vapor pressure of water at the temperature of the human body is called the Armstrong line, named after American physician Harry G. Armstrong. This experiment resulted in the first mercury barometer and created a scientific sensation in Europe. Exposure to high-energy, ionizing cosmic rays can result in fatigue, nausea, vomiting, as well as damage to the immune system and changes to the white blood cell count. Using the estimated radiation of the background stars, he concluded that space must be heated to a temperature of 5–6 K. British physicist Arthur Eddington made a similar calculation to derive a temperature of 3.18 K in 1926. outer space definition in English dictionary, outer space meaning, synonyms, see also 'on the outer',outer bar',outer garments',Outer Hebrides'. (VOY: "One Small Step") Sensors aboard Federation starships were designed to "register only those things they're designed to register," as such, all according to Spock, "space still contains infinite unknowns." There are several standard boundary designations, namely: In 2009, scientists reported detailed measurements with a Supra-Thermal Ion Imager (an instrument that measures the direction and speed of ions), which allowed them to establish a boundary at 118 km (73.3 mi) above Earth. [117] Based on this idea that a vacuum could not exist, in the West it was widely held for many centuries that space could not be empty. [143] This was greatly exceeded in 1942 when the third launch of the German A-4 rocket climbed to an altitude of about 80 km (50 mi). Microgravity also has a negative effect on human physiology that causes both muscle atrophy and bone loss. He correctly noted that the atmosphere of the Earth surrounds the planet like a shell, with the density gradually declining with altitude. [131] But the scale of the Universe remained unknown until the first successful measurement of the distance to a nearby star in 1838 by the German astronomer Friedrich Bessel. “Outer space.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outer%20space. outer space meaning, definition, what is outer space: the space outside the Earth’s air, where...: Learn more. Once the deoxygenated blood arrives at the brain, humans lose consciousness after a few seconds and die of hypoxia within minutes. Some of this debris re-enters Earth's atmosphere periodically. The boundary represents the midpoint of a gradual transition over tens of kilometers from the relatively gentle winds of the Earth's atmosphere to the more violent flows of charged particles in space, which can reach speeds well over 268 m/s (600 mph). The idea of the luminiferous aether was then abandoned. It was replaced by Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity, which holds that the speed of light in a vacuum is a fixed constant, independent of the observer's motion or frame of reference. [111] Four additional space law treaties have been negotiated and drafted by the UN's Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The inner boundary is the ionosphere. Approximately 70% of the mass of the interstellar medium consists of lone hydrogen atoms; most of the remainder consists of helium atoms. On the other hand, uncrewed spacecraft have reached all of the known planets in the Solar System. [31], Outside a protective atmosphere and magnetic field, there are few obstacles to the passage through space of energetic subatomic particles known as cosmic rays. [55], Space is a partial vacuum: its different regions are defined by the various atmospheres and "winds" that dominate within them, and extend to the point at which those winds give way to those beyond. This pressure is high enough to prevent ebullism, but evaporation of nitrogen dissolved in the blood could still cause decompression sickness and gas embolisms if not managed. Large regions of higher density matter known as molecular clouds allow chemical reactions to occur, including the formation of organic polyatomic species. Outer space is the area outside the earth's atmosphere where the other planets and stars are situated. Likewise, the "sun, moon, and the company of stars float in the empty space, moving or standing still". outer space definition: 1. the part of space that is very far away from Earth 2. the part of space that is very far away…. [51] Other effects include fluid redistribution, slowing of the cardiovascular system, decreased production of red blood cells, balance disorders, and a weakening of the immune system. More advanced propulsion systems could use antimatter as a fuel, potentially reaching relativistic velocities. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! The French mathematician Blaise Pascal reasoned that if the column of mercury was supported by air, then the column ought to be shorter at higher altitude where the air pressure is lower. These effects can be minimized through a regimen of exercise. [152] Likewise, a site like the Daedalus crater on the far side of the Moon could shield a radio telescope from the radio frequency interference that hampers Earth-based observations. The radiation of outer space has a different temperature than the kinetic temperature of the gas, meaning that the gas and radiation are not in thermodynamic equilibrium. (TOS: "The Naked Time") Space was also known for being extremely cold. [56] The Van Allen radiation belts lie within the geospace. More specifically, exposed bodily liquids such as saliva, tears, and liquids in the lungs boil away. [56] Interplanetary space extends to the heliopause, whereupon the solar wind gives way to the winds of the interstellar medium. [146], The first spacecraft to reach escape velocity was the Soviet Luna 1, which performed a fly-by of the Moon in 1959. [57] The distance and strength of the heliopause varies depending on the activity level of the solar wind. 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