Mars, home to the largest volcano: Although Mars appears relatively calm today, something in the past led to the formation and eruption of massive volcanoes. Among them is Olympus Mons, the largest volcano discovered in the Solar System. Stretching across 602 km, this volcano is equivalent to the size of the state of Arizona (USA). Its height of 25 km is three times taller than Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth. The volcanoes on Mars have such grand dimensions due to the weaker gravity on the Red Planet compared to Earth. However, how these volcanoes formed remains a mystery.
Mars also harbors the longest valley: With a length of 4,000 km, Valles Marineris on Mars is ten times longer than the Grand Canyon on Earth. Valles Marineris was discovered by the Mariner 9 spacecraft in 1971. The absence of tectonic plate activity on Mars makes it challenging to explain the formation of this canyon. Some scientists even propose the existence of a chain of volcanoes on the opposite side of the planet called the Tharsis Ridge, which somehow bent the crust from Mars’ opposite side and created Valles Marineris.
Venus boasts incredibly strong winds: Venus is a “hellish” planet with high temperatures and pressure on its surface. Not only that, but scientists have discovered that the winds on Venus blow at a speed 50 times faster than the planet’s rotation.
The whirlpool galaxy with a dual core: Messier 83 is a large spiral galaxy located 15 million light-years away in the constellation of Hydra. It appears to have a dual core, possibly consisting of two supermassive black holes or the effect of a disk of misaligned stars rotating around a central black hole. Messier 83 is also known for numerous supernova explosions. Astronomers have directly observed six of these supernovae in this galaxy, along with remnants of 300 more.
The possibility of life somewhere in the Solar System: Until now, scientists have not found conclusive evidence of life existing somewhere in the Solar System. However, our understanding of extremophiles, microorganisms capable of surviving in volcanic vents or frozen environments, has opened up possibilities for life on other planets. There may not have been extraterrestrial beings on Mars, but the existence of microorganisms within the Solar System is plausible.
A “spindle” in space: Located 300 million light-years away, there is a “spindle” galaxy moving through space. This galaxy has a tail that stretches 500,000 light-years, which is over 10 times the size of the Milky Way. What has caused the peculiar shape of this galaxy remains a mystery. According to researchers who made the discovery in 2018, it may be the result of a collision between galaxies in the universe.
Rogue planets wandering through galaxies: Drifting across galaxies are rogue planets ejected from their parent stars due to gravitational forces. Among them is SIMP J01365663+0933473, an object the size of a planet located 200 light-years away, with a magnetic field stronger than Jupiter’s by a factor of 200. Its magnetic field is powerful enough to produce auroras in the atmosphere and can be observed through radio telescopes.
There are mountains on Enceladus: Enceladus is a tiny world located at the edge of the Solar System. An interesting discovery reveals the presence of icy mountains on this planet, reaching heights of up to 3,300 meters. This suggests that Enceladus has experienced geological activity at least 100 million years ago. However, the energy source and the internal mechanism driving this geological activity on Enceladus remain mysterious. The distance between the Sun and Enceladus is too great to provide sufficient heat for such geological activity, and there are no nearby large planets capable of creating mountains through gravitational forces.
Galaxy resembling a jellyfish: Situated in the Triangulum Australe constellation (Southern Triangle), the ESO 137-001 galaxy bears a resemblance to a jellyfish swimming amidst a sea of stars. According to NASA, the stars forming inside the “tail” consist of dust and gas, which cannot be observed with the naked eye. The process of star formation within this tail remains enigmatic due to the excessive heat of the gas hindering the formation of stars.