I like lists.  I especially like lists about space “mysteries”.  Of course, there are very few true mysteries remaining, and what many people think of as a “mystery” is really only something that sounds mysterious.

Keeping that in mind, I’d like you to consider these “bizarre” (not my word for it) things in space.  I would call them interesting… certainly not mysterious or bizarre.  Anyway, let me know your favorite.  These are in no particular order.

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VACUUM ENERGY

This is the creation and destruction of energy in a vacuum… believed by some to be the force which is pushing the universe apart (at an accelerated rate).

Cloud Chamber of first Positron ever observed, Image Carl D. Anderson, American Physical Society

ANTI-MATTER

This is theoretical matter which carries an opposite electrical charge.  An electron, for example, carries a negative charge.  It’s “anti-matter” compliment, a positron, carries a positive electrical charge.  Unlike apocryphal sci-fi writing, it IS possible for matter and anti-matter to exist in the same universe.  It’s just rather impressive when the particles run across each other.

MINI BLACK HOLES

Cute little critters, mini black holes are believed to be left-overs from the Big Bang.  About the size of an atomic nucleus, these are believed to affect space time differently because of their close association with the fifth dimension.

COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND

Believed to be the best evidence so far for the Big Bang, the Cosmic Microwave Background (or CMB) is probably the most seriously strange thing on this list; mostly because it emanates from everywhere… all at once.

DARK MATTER

Whether or not it exists is still up for grabs.  We do know that there is not enough observable matter to hold the galaxies together.  Something else is going on with them, and the “discussion” gets heated pretty quickly.

NASA/ESA/JPL Formalhaut b

EXOPLANETS

Believe it or not, there are STILL people who don’t believe in exoplanets.

GALACTIC CANNIBALISM

Yes, children; we are going to run into Andromeda.  I don’t think you should stay up nights worrying about it, though.

QUASARS

Seriously interesting, quasars are the most luminous objects in the known universe.  Discovered in the late 1950′s, we’ve identified over 200,000 of them.  They emit unbelievable amounts of energy.  Wow.  

There you have it; my short list of interesting things in space.  Of course, you know my “long list” would fill whole books, so we won’t go there.  Let me know what you find interesting (doesn’t have to be on this list).  I know some of you are lit up by supernovae, and some by quarks.  Thermonuclear fission and exobiology get some of us going (yes… me).  I think that’s one thing that’s so completely cool about the sciences… you just never run out of things to talk about.