Journey to the

EDGE
of the universe
No sooner have we left earth, we reach the
infinite realms of zillions of stars…
But, before we proceed, here’s a little fact or
rather a question… how do stars die?
 How does a star die?

As a white In the form As a black

dwarf of a hole
supernova If the mass
Stars with
less than Denser stars of the
eight solar end in this central core
masses end way. It is more than
their lives in forms three suns, it
this way. neutron stars becomes a
and pulsars black hole.
White dwarfs are stars that have burned up all of the hydrogen they
once used as nuclear fuel.
About 1,600 light-years away, two dense white dwarfs in the J0806
binary star system orbit each other once every 321 seconds. When
they reach the end of their long evolutions, smaller stars typically
become white dwarfs.
Our first actual destination on our journey to the
unknown are within
our
mother, the milky way galaxy, vast and
beautiful, what secrets, wonders and dangers
does she have in store for us?
We are now entering the most beautiful
part of the universe… the palette of
infinite nebula’s…
The region around
The star
the star Rho Ophiuci
displays a rich
mixture of all types
of nebulae, 1 – a dark
2
nebulae made of
dust which blocks 1
the light of the
stars behind it, 2 –
blue nebulae that
reflect the light of
the stars, 3 - hot 3
gas nebulae that
have the
characteristic pink
color, 4 – globular 4

star cluster.
The familiar eyeball shape of “The Helix Nebula” shows only two dimensions
of this complex celestial body. But new observations suggest it may actually
be composed of two gaseous disks nearly perpendicular to each other.
“The Cat's Eye Nebula” contains some of the most complex gas formations
astronomers have ever seen, including concentric shells, high-speed jets, and
unusual shock-induced knots. Some scientists think the nebula's intricate
structures suggest it is a double-star system.
“The horsehead nebula” ……… it’s easy to see how it got its name…
 7000 light years from home
And the journey feels safe, what with such a beautiful display of
colors and artistic talents... but the
Universe is not just this, the distance we have
Travelled is just a tiny speck in its vastness, and we’re about to find
its proof...
 What we are now witnessing is a a rare celestial phenomenon called a
supernova. Brace yourself for it is literally the explosion of most of the
material in a star, resulting in an extremely bright, short-lived object
that emits vast amounts of energy.
Located 163,000 light-
years away in the Large
Magellanic Cloud, the
remnants of Supernova
1987 resemble a one-
light-year-wide pearl
necklace.

These bright spots are

pieces of debris shed
thousands of years ago
and illuminated by the
shock wave when the star
exploded.

The two bright objects

that look like car
headlights are a pair of
stars in the Large
Magellanic Cloud.
 We are now ready to leave milky way galaxy
and enter intergalactic space…
Over here, amidst the intergalactic halo and
the deafening silence of deep space, we find
the unknown,
THE DARK MATTER

Measurements made by astronauts tell us that there

is more matter in our galaxy.
Nearly 90% of the universe is made up of this
invisible matter. But what’s the proof?
Magellanic clouds are supposed to spin off to space
but they’re not; indicating the presence of the
invisible force
In a still image the collision might now look that clear but if you
notice carefully, what you are looking at is EXPLOSION OF A
GALAXY!
This can only be possible by another galaxy and the collision will
create more galaxies, this is a destruction leading to creation…
Having witnessed so many wonders, it’s easy to see
why the universe fascinates us… but I’m not done…
not yet… there is one more danger that lurks in
the corners, one that could jeopardize this entire
journey… QUASARS.
 Quasars are the most brightest, most distant and fastest
moving objects visible outside the milky way galaxy. Thousands
of these are known for their bright swirling cauldron of hot
gasses each emitting a huge amount of energy. But what is
their source? Their heart of darkness i.e. their core is
generally a massive black hole.
X- Ray image of a black hole

This image taken in 1999 with

NASA's Chandra X-ray
Observatory shows what
astronomers believe is a
supernova remnant interacting
with the super massive black
hole at the centre of the Milky
Way galaxy.
Scientists theorized that the
shock wave created when it
went supernova (bright yellow
and orange tones) compressed
and pushed gas into the
gluttonous black hole (white
dot within shock wave)
creating a period of intense
feeding followed by a period of
"starvation."
From earth…
Through the infinite field of stars…
Abandoning the safety of our home,…
Witnessing the beauty of space…
Surviving explosions…
And quasars…
We have finally made it to THE EDGE…
A PowerPoint Presentation By
** A sweet friend **