space

[enevitable]

Originally Posted by pavlakos

theres no such thing as space, theres allways something in between stuff, just cause we dont see it doesnt mean its not there. between stars is dark matter/energy.

actual observable matter on all wavelengths and with all methods show that there is next to nothing in between most stars. the regions of space where you do see gas clouds are the nebular clouds.

if you look at the gap between us and our closest star, there is a whole lot of nothing in between

[joe Biggs]

i mean if you just in space not near any starts/planets.

what is all the black? i mean its not matter or anything? so what causes it to be black?

and dark matter is a black hole and what if anything is on the other side of a black hole. but i can be wrong.

[D3vO]

I think space is black because there is no light reflecting off the 'nothing' that occupies the empty areas. Nothing to reflect the light, nothing to show up

[JesusC]

Originally Posted by enevitable

actual observable matter on all wavelengths and with all methods show that there is next to nothing in between most stars. the regions of space where you do see gas clouds are the nebular clouds.

if you look at the gap between us and our closest star, there is a whole lot of nothing in between

Define "nothing".....

[enevitable]

Originally Posted by JesusC

Define "nothing"...

Densities range from a few thousand to a few hundred million particles per cubic meter with an average value in the Milky Way Galaxy of a million particles per cubic meter

Last time I checked you have the internet too, feel free to do your own research

[pavlakos]

well dark matter has the potential to become matter, so on the other side of that black hole it might actually be a star...who knows...itd be cool if we had technology to go into a black hole(safely).

[Smokinscientist]

Well, depends on if we're talking about a local or non-local universe (for all you wikifreaks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlocality).

We could say there is nothing between stars. But what about EM waves? We're getting them from the stars, so they occupy space. Electric fields, magnetic fields, gravitational fields?

[Mr. bojangles]

what exists in the space between ojects is possibility, and maybe dark matter

[joe Biggs]

if theres nothing between 2 stars, whos to say space thus exists?

[Stonerinthemist]

Alrighty I'll preface this explanation with a little disclaimer informing you that I dont deeply comprehend what I say, but I understand it on the surface level. So I recently read this book "The View from the Center of Universe" which is great and really explains about space and all that jazz in sort of "lay-mans" terms picture/symbols and real life examples. Now, on to your question.

So .01 percent of the universe is made of dense particles or "stardust" (That would be us...cool huh, were made of stardust) The next .5 % is made of hydrogen and helium and then 4% is made of invisible particles which we cant detect accurately, 20% is made of Cold Dark Energy and 70% is made of Cold Dark Matter. (I understand this doesn't add to 100% its theoretical; chill out)

So this Dark Matter is constantly fighting with gravity (holding it together) and its own properties which make it want to expand, which is why the universe is expanding constatly. This does not affect solar systems and solar system clusters which because of the intense gravity holding them together are not pulled apart (so we as a solar system are not spreading out) to put this in perspective if one were to view from the earth in a million or so years the band of stars known as the Milky Way would no longer be visible as a swath of stars but actually just a few isolated dots near one another.

One might also ask what this universe is "supported" by which i think is neat. So first a joke.
So a Apprentice to a great philosopher asks his teacher
A- "What is the world supported by?"
And his teacher responds
P- "Atlas"
A-"What is Atlas supported by?"
P-"He is supported by a turtle."
A-"And what is the turtle supported by?"
P-"My dear its turtles all the way down."

anyhoo hope I was a help and I recommend to all blades "The View From the Center of the Universe" By Joel R. Primack and his wife Nancy Ellen Abrams

[klizzle]

The space between two stars is just really thinly spread out matter... kind of like air if you're looking at earth or water if you're looking at an ocean as your "container".

[Jimbozu]

Space is the medium in which matter exists.