Top Five Most Recent Space Discoveries

The technology makes it easy for us to learn about our universe more and more. It has explored the heavens to us in ways our predecessors used to imagine only. Here is a list of top five most recent space discoveries.

 

1. Kepler-22b

First on the list of top five most recent space discoveries is the planet Kepler-22b. It was discovered in December of 2011. It’s the first and the smallest planet discovered in the habitable zone of a “sun like” star. The planet is around 2.5 times the radius of Earth and is slightly cooler than the sun. Since the exact composition of this newly discovered planet is unknown yet, astronomers have not determined yet if it’s a gaseous or rocky gaseous planet. Discovery of Kepler-22b is proven to be a major step towards finding a “twin-earth.”

 

2. Extrasolar Planets

The first Extrasolar Planets, or Exo Planet, were found in year 1992. The discovery included numerous diminutive planets moving around a Pulsar. It wasn’t until last decade of the twentieth century when a huge planet was found in a 4-day orbit around the star 51 Pegasi, which is in its close proximity. Since May 2012, the number of Extrasolar Planets listed in the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia has reached 770. Some 614 planets of these 770 are within planetary systems while 104 planets are in multiple planetary systems.

 

3. Dark Flow

Dark Flow was discovered in 2008 and is considered a mystery than an answer. Dark Flow, which is currently sitting at third spot on the list of top five most recent space discoveries, is actually a phenomenon in which patches of matter in the space seem to be moving in a uniform direction at very high speed. The astronomers observed the large galaxy clusters and found more than seven hundred galaxy clusters moving at an irregular velocity in the direction of a remote part of the Universe. Some scientists even say that Dark Flow may be brought about by another Universe pressing against our own. However, some other scientists are also there who slam the discovery of Dark Flow.

 

4. Enceladus

In July 2004, the Cassini search began to move around Saturn. Thanks to the preceding Voyager missions, Saturn’s sixth largest moon Enceladus, became the main concern of Cassini mission connivers. After a number of flybys with Cassini in 2005, water and intricate hydrocarbons that were venting from the organically active South Polar Region were discovered. And in year 2011, NASA scientists declared Enceladus as an emerging “most habitable spot beyond Earth in the Solar System for life as we know it.”

 

5. Water Flow Patterns on Mars

In year 2011, NASA released a statement and some photos, claiming that they’ve proof that there might be “flowing water” on Mars. The photos seem to show water running down the rocky landscape of the planet to form long, dark-flow patterns. Scientists believe that it’s salty water, which melts down during Mars’ summer months and spills around on the surface. Indications of flowing water at Mars have been seen previously, but this’ the first time that such signs have been observed changing over a shorter span of time. Discovery is of water-flow pattern on Mars is last on the list of top five most recent space discoveries.

 

 

 

 

Top Five Most Recent Space Discoveries