The universe is estimated to be around 13.8 billion years old, according to the latest scientific calculations.
The observable universe is estimated to contain around 100 billion galaxies, each containing billions of stars….
The largest known galaxy, IC 1101, is estimated to contain around 100 trillion stars.
The universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, and the cause of this acceleration is still unknown.
Dark matter, which makes up around 27% of the universe, has never been directly detected but its effects can be observed through its gravitational pull on visible matter.
The universe is mostly composed of hydrogen (around 74%) and helium (around 24%) with other elements making up less than 2%.
The universe is not only expanding but also cooling down, as the energy from the Big Bang is gradually dissipating.
There are many different theories about the ultimate fate of the universe, including the possibility of a Big Crunch or a Big Freeze.
The first stars in the universe were likely massive and short-lived, producing the first heavy elements through their explosive deaths.
Neutron stars, which are formed when a massive star collapses, are incredibly dense, with a teaspoon of their material weighing as much as a mountain.
Black holes, formed from the collapse of massive stars, have such strong gravitational fields that not even light can escape them.
The first exoplanet (a planet outside of our solar system) was discovered in 1995, and since then thousands more have been found.
The universe is filled with cosmic radiation, including microwave background radiation that is a remnant of the Big Bang.
