Foundations of Space Science
- (Salem, Massachusetts - ROC(Taiwan) Student Association of MIT)
- Overview
Space science is a field of study that involves exploring space and studying the physical bodies and natural phenomena that occur in outer space. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including:
- Meteorology
- Geology
- Lunar, solar, and planetary science
- Astronomy and astrophysics
- Life sciences
Some subjects that fall under the umbrella of space science include: Remote sensing, Satellite applications, Space physics, Astrodynamics, Atmospheric sciences.
Space science attempts to answer questions such as:
- How did the Earth and Solar System form and evolve?
- Is all the water on earth older than our sun?
- What is our place in the Universe?
- Where are we going?
- Astronomy vs. Space Science
Astronomy is the study of objects and phenomena beyond Earth's atmosphere. This includes objects that are visible to the naked eye, like the Sun, Moon, and planets, as well as objects that can only be seen with telescopes or other instruments, like galaxies and particles.
Space science is the scientific knowledge related to space exploration. It involves launching people and equipment into space, and deals with rockets, the health of astronauts, and satellites.
While astronomy and space science are closely related, they are not the same thing. Astronomy is the scientific study of space, while space science is more concerned with the launch of people and equipment into space.
Astronomy has branches, including astrophysics, astrometry, astrogeology, and astrobiology. Astrobiology is the study of the living universe. Astronomy provides the context for the origin and evolution of life on Earth.
The most common celestial bodies studied by astronomers are the moon, the sun, the stars, other planets and satellites, comets, asteroids, and so on. Astronomy is part of Space Sciences, which include other disciplines like Astrophysics, Planetary Science, Meteorology, Space Travel and Exploration.
- All The Water On Earth Is Older Than Our Sun
According to scientific research, the water on Earth is considered older than the Sun because most of it originated from the interstellar medium, the space between stars, which existed before our solar system formed, meaning the water molecules were already present in the cosmic cloud that eventually collapsed to create the Sun and planets like Earth.
Essentially, we inherited a large portion of our water from this pre-existing interstellar ice:
- Interstellar ice: Scientists believe that water molecules in the form of ice were abundant in the interstellar medium, where they collected on dust grains.
- Solar system formation: When the solar system began to form, this interstellar ice was incorporated into the planets, including Earth, contributing significantly to our planet's water supply.
- Evidence from composition: Studies of the water on Earth show a composition similar to the water found in interstellar space, further supporting this theory.
[More to come ...]
