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The latest news on space, closer than ever!

FORGET WHAT YOU HEARD
JUPITER DOES NOT ORBIT
AROUND THE SUN!

EXCLUSIVE HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUBBLE!
PERFECT GIFT - RARE PHOTO
MILKY WAY
FROM THE OF A NEBULA
WEST!
NEW STUDY REVEALS!
NEW PICTURES OF OUR GALAXY STRAIGHT HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE
FROM THE GRAND CANYON YOU TO WALK AROUND THE

RS 599/- MOON?

COULD THERE BE

ALIEN LIFE
ON VENUS?

ENTERTAINMENT: SPACE MOVIES
REVISITED!

APRIL 2021

We Thank Our Collaborators!

Chief Editor - Victoria Briar
Designer - Stella Sindel
Reporter & Content - Sam Vegare
Production - Ad Astra Co. Ltd

TABLE OF CONTENTS

03 Kersley Mo
Milky Way From The West!

05 Grace Curp
Jupiter Does Not Orbit Around The Sun!

06 Irene Bundh
The Giants Beyond The Asteroid Belt

07 Kun Alrani
Hubble Telescope Snaps A Rare Nebula

08 Joe Swami
A Moon Marathon

09 Virginia Nucifora
Space Movies Revisited

10 Scott Aubeeluck
Are There Aliens On Venus?

OUT OF THIS WORLD | APRIL 2021

THE MILKY WAY FROM
THE WEST!

Our galaxy poses for awesome night pictures at the Grand Canyon. Witness the latest wonders
of the Milky Way, never like before!

April 2021; the month when the clouds of spring pictures are sure to make you ask some questions!
Just keep them for now and let the beauty of the
starts to recede, leaving the clear sky for stargazers Milky Way enthrall your senses in all the right ways.
to enjoy. And this is the exact time when The Great THE MILKY WAY - YOUR HOME... OUR HOME!
Canyon receives one of the most visitors during the A look at the night sky will obviously reveal a broad
year, all keen to witness the greatest wonders of our swath of light. Because of its colour and style, an-
galaxy stretch before them. Groups of researchers, ceitns described it as a river of milk, hence the name
explorers and enthusiasts alike would be pitching Milky Way! This band has been visible in the heavens
their camps on some of the highest peaks of the can- since Earth first formed. In reality, this intriguing line
yon, only to be able to capture the gorgeous view of of light is the center of our galaxy, as seen from one
the Milky Way, in its full, glorious splendour. of its outer arms.
But this clear night sky is not offering such delights Understanding the structure of the Milky Way has
all year round. Star gazers would commit to the trip long been challenging. The solar system sits on the
specially at the end of Spring, during these special outer edges of one arm in a disk of material, and no
days when the night will be more clear and the stars, one can see across the dense center to the other
more visible. Our group of researchers and reporters side. As such, we may never know what marvels
did not dare to miss the trip to the canyons, camera or horrors lie on the other side. All you see when
in hand, waiting to snap each corner of the universe glancing to the heavens above is on of the sides of
that stretch before them. While many wait to enjoy the milky way. To note, the galaxy is in the form of a
such a sight, we were among the lucky ones to make spiral. Other galaxies might be shaped into clouds or
sure to get there in the right place, right time, and circles. A question that remained on the lips of sci-
have the treat of stars to ourselves. The Milky Way entists, what lies in the middle of the galaxy?
has been observed for eons now. Each time, there’s
something to see with our galaxy, a mystery to solve
and a question to ask. Coming from the west, these

3

OUT OF THIS WORLD | APRIL 2021
By the time we are writing the article, many are still
researching on the possible theories that will ex-
plain what lies in the middle of the galaxy. Whether
you watch it from the west or the east, it is still an
unanswered question.
WHY IS THE MILKY WAY BEST FROM THE WEST?
Between March and April, our galaxy is visible if you
get up before dawn, in summer it can be seen at mid-
night, and by October it’s on show right after dusk. If
there’s no light pollution to block your view it’s pos-
sible to see the Milky Way galaxy arcing overhead.
Light pollution is one of the hardcore reasons why
we miss the great wonders of the Milky Way. Which is
why, the grand canyon, away from civilisation, is one
of the best places to enjoy the scene.
WANT TO SEE THE MILKY WAY IN YOUR LOCATION?
We know what you’re thinking: don’t I just “look” in
the right direction? The answer is no! It takes your
eyes 15 to 20 minutes to see their best in the dark.
Any bright light source in the direction you look will
diminish the view. Running out of a well-lit house, or
jumping out of a car where you’ve spent the last 15
minute driving with the headlights on will make the
Milky Way far less awesome. Avoiding ALL light and
shielding your eyes from anything you can’t avoid will
help a lot. See the images caught from the canyons?
Well, we promise you that it is there. Because of
the light pollution, we have trouble seeing it on first
glances. Give your eyes some time, as the minutes
pass by, more and more milk from the milky way will
flow your way!
Catch all pictures of the Milky Way from the west
here: https://www.outofthisworld.com/milky-west/
- Kersley Mo

4

OUT OF THIS WORLD | APRIL 2021

JUPITER DOES NOT ORBIT
AROUND THE SUN

A book defying fact! Recent studies reveal that the biggest planet of the Solar System does
not abide by the rules. Here’s how...

Jupiter is huge. Huge. It’s so huge, in fact, that it doesn’t actually orbit the sun. Not exactly. With 2.5 times the

mass of all the other planets in the solar system combined, it’s big enough that the center of gravity between
Jupiter and the sun doesn’t actually reside inside the sun — rather, at a point in space just above the sun’s
surface. Here’s how that works. When a small object orbits a big object in space, the less massive one doesn’t
really travel in a perfect circle around the larger one. Rather, both objects orbit a combined center of gravity.
In situations we’re familiar with — like Earth orbiting the much-larger sun — the center of gravity resides so
close to the center of the larger object that the impact of this phenomenon is negligible. Not so with Jupiter.
The gas giant is so big that its center of mass with the sun, or barycenter, actually lies 1.07 solar radii from the
middle of the sun. Both the Sun and Jupiter orbit around that point in space.

- Grace Curp
5

OUT OF THIS WORLD | APRIL 2021

THE GIANTS BEYOND THE
ASTEROID BELT

They don’t really come with a surface and has also been refered to as “failed stars”. Why are
these giant planets so different from the others?

YES! They are true giants. And not just by size but by

gravity and mass as well. The four gas giants in our
solar system are Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter.
As the name says, it is GIANT planet that is made of
gas! They are different from rocky or terrestrial planets
that are made of mostly rock. Unlike rocky planets, gas
giants do not have a well-defined surface – there is
no clear boundary between where the atmosphere
ends and the surface starts!

HOW ARE GAS GIANTS CREATED? While Jupiter and Saturn are the authentic gas gi-
At the inital stages of creation, planets somewhat ants because they comprise of only gases, Neptune
smaller than the Moon are large enough to capture a and Uranus are known as Ice Giants because they do
thin atmosphere. This atmosphere grows thicker and not only have gases but the extreme pressures and
hotter as the planet gets bigger. Once the planet is low temperatures have turned the gases into solids.
similar to Mars in size, it can form an ocean. At larger You might be wondering if we are forgetting a planet,
masses, the planet’s ocean boils and the atmosphere Pluto. Pluto is not really a gas giant because it has a
becomes a dense mixture of steam and hydrogen and small, rocky world about the size of Earth’s Moon. Re-
helium. When a planet reaches a few times the mass of cent examinations of old photographs, combined with
Earth, the atmosphere will grow rapidly, faster than the new observations, indicate that Pluto itself has a moon.
solid part of the planet, eventually forming a gas giant Whether Pluto is still bearing the name planet or not,
planet like Jupiter. this is heavily debated. So far, Pluto is accepted in the
Solar System!

Because of the harsh conditions, it is not so quick that
we will know what happens inside gas giants...

- Irene Bundh

6

OUT OF THIS WORLD | APRIL 2021

HUBBLE TELESCOPE
SNAPS RARE NEBULA

Hubble telescope turned 30 years old on the 24th of April and he actually got his share of
gift from the universe - a rare stunning picture of a dying star nicknamed AG Carrinea.

Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope unveiled a stunning new image of a fast-burning star to cel-

ebrate the iconic observatory’s 31st anniversary. The star itself, dubbed AG Carinae, is of a class called Lu-
minous Blue Variables and appears surrounded by a huge shell of material that the star blew into space
thousands of years ago. That shell, called a nebula, is 5 light-years wide, about the distance from Earth to the
nearest star beyond our sun, Alpha Centauri, according to the European Space Agency, which helps operate
Hubble. In the new image, hydrogen and nitrogen gases glow red, while blue marks filamentary dust struc-
tures lit by the star. Hubble studied the scene in visible and ultraviolet light.
Luminous blue variable stars have two modes, al-
ternating between stretches of quiet and a handful of
massive outbursts over the course of their lifetimes.
During one of those outbursts, these stars become
much brighter — right now, scientists estimate that
AG Carinae shines about a million times brighter
than Earth’s sun.
But even still, massive stars can only endure a cer-
tain number of such outbursts before running out
of fuel. AG Carinae, which scientists think is about
70 times more massive than the sun, may last per-
haps 5 million or 6 million years. Short lifespans —
only tens of thousands of years as a luminous blue
variable — make these stars fairly rare; scientists
have only identified a few dozen in our Milky Way and
nearby galaxies.

- Kun Alrani

7

OUT OF THIS WORLD | APRIL 2021

A MOON MARATHON

If there was one a Moon Marathon one day, how long will it take? New research reveals
the time it will take for a person to go around the moon... on foot.

A total of 12 humans have stepped foot on the lunar This experiment revealed that the participants were able
to walk up to 3.1 mph (5 km/h) before breaking into a
surface, all of whom were part of the Apollo missions run. This is not only more than double the walking speed
between 1969 and 1972, according to NASA. The footage managed by the Apollo astronauts but also fairly close
that was beamed back to Earth showed how challenging to the 4.5 mph (7.2 km/h) average maximum walking
(and, apparently, fun) it was to walk — or more accu- speed on Earth, according to the researchers.
rately, bounce — around in the moon’s low gravity, which At this new hypothetical max speed, it would take about
is one-sixth the gravity of Earth. 91 days to walk the 6,786-mile (10,921 km) circumfer-
However, research from NASA has since suggested ence of the moon. For context, it would take around 334
that it is possible for humans to maneuver much faster days to walk nonstop (i.e., not stopping to sleep or eat)
on the moon than the Apollo astronauts did. Theoreti- around the 24,901-mile (40,075 km) circumference of
cally, walking the circumference of the moon could be Earth at this speed, although it is impossible to do so
done faster than previously predicted. During the Apol- because of the oceans.
lo missions, astronauts bounced around the surface at FACTS ABOUT THE MOON
a casual 1.4 mph (2.2 km/h), according to NASA. This 1. The Moon formed 4.51 billion years ago, and around 50
slow speed was mainly due to their clunky, pressurized million years after the birth of the Solar System;
spacesuits that were not designed with mobility in mind. 2. The Moon is not a perfectly round sphere - it’s an oval,
If the “moonwalkers” had sported sleeker suits, they egg-shaped satellite thanks to the Earth’s gravity pull
might have found it a lot easier to move and, as a result, 3. The Moon is the fifth largest satellite of the Solar
picked up the pace. System after Jupiter’s Ganymede, Callisto and Io, and
In 2014, a NASA study published in the Journal of Exper- Saturn’s Titan satellites
imental Biology tested how fast humans could walk and
run in simulated lunar gravity. To do this, the team got
eight participants (three of which were astronauts) to
use a treadmill onboard a DC-9 aircraft, which flew spe-
cial parabolic trajectories on Earth to simulate gravity

8

OUT OF THIS WORLD | APRIL 2021

SPACE MOVIES REVISITED

Ever wondered where does some of our passion for space comes from? Through awe-
some space movies that got enough to make you a fan! Reel or real, it works if it is space!

Some movies just let their special effects and plot do

the talking while others are truely masterpieces! Here
are three movies that we recommend you watching this
week!
ARRIVAL (2016)
Linguistics professor Louise Banks leads an elite team
of investigators when gigantic spaceships touchdown
in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on
the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race
against time to find a way to communicate with the ex-
traterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery,
she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite
possibly all of mankind.

INTERSTELLAR (2014)
Earth’s future has been riddled by disasters, famines,
and droughts. There is only one way to ensure man-
kind’s survival: Interstellar travel. A newly discovered
wormhole in the far reaches of our solar system allows
a team of astronauts to go where no man has gone be-
fore, a planet that may have the right environment to
sustain human life

ALIEN (2014)
In the distant future, the crew of the Nostromo are on
their way home when they pick up a distress call from
a distant moon. After a rough landing, three crew mem-
bers leave the spaceship to explore the area on the
moon. At the same time as they discover a hive colony of
some unknown creature, the ship’s computer deciphers
the message to be a warning, not a distress call. When
one of the eggs is disturbed, the crew realizes that they
are not alone on the spaceship and they must deal with
the consequences.

- Virginia Nucifora
9

OUT OF THIS WORLD | APRIL 2021

ARE THERE ALIENS ON

VENUS?

Venus has always been known as Earth’s twin. Could it be that the planet is also twin in

terms of its inhabitants? New researches showed the detection of a mysterious

molecule called phosphine in the clouds of Venus. Re-
searchers say that molecule could be produced by living
microbial cells. Astrophysicist Becky Smethurst says
the astronomers “spent three years thinking about ev-
ery other possible process that could explain this – vol-
canoes, lightning, sunlight triggering the formation – but
none of those could produce enough phosphine.

“Hence why now they’re publishing this work with a big
question mark – LIFE?”

Anita Richards, one of the team behind the discovery,
told BBC Science Focus: “At the moment, we can’t ex-
plain how enough phosphine molecules could survive
long enough in the Venus cloud decks to allow us to de-
tect it.”

WHAT IS PHOSPHINE?

Phosphine is made up of one phosphorous molecule
with three hydrogen molecules,” explains Richards. “It
is much less stable than water – it would not stand a
chance in the very acid atmosphere of Venus unless it
was being frequently replenished

- Scott Aubeeluck

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