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Space

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Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of the boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime. In mathematics spaces with different numbers of dimensions and with different underlying structures can be examined. The concept of space is considered to be of fundamental importance to an understanding of the universe although disagreement continues between philosophers over whether it is itself an entity, a relationship between entities, or part of a conceptual framework.

Many of the philosophical questions arose in the 17th century, during the early development of classical mechanics. In Isaac Newton's view, space was absolute - in the sense that it existed permanently and independently of whether there were any matter in the space. Other natural philosophers, notably Gottfried Leibniz, thought instead that space was a collection of relations between objects, given by their distance and direction from one another. In the 18th century, Immanuel Kant described space and time as elements of a systematic framework which humans use to structure their experience.

In the 19th and 20th centuries mathematicians began to examine non-Euclidean geometries, in which space can be said to be curved, rather than flat. According to Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, space around gravitational fields deviates from Euclidean space. Experimental tests of general relativity have confirmed that non-Euclidean space provides a better model for explaining the existing laws of mechanics and optics.

For more information about Space, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with space

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Mars

Life on Mars theory boosted by new methane study

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 08, 2009 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (28) | comments 11

Scientists have ruled out the possibility that methane is delivered to Mars by meteorites, raising fresh hopes that the gas might be generated by life on the red planet, in research published tomorrow in Earth an ...


Hubble's deepest view of universe unveils never-before-seen galaxies

Hubble's Deepest View of Universe Unveils Never-Before-Seen Galaxies (w/ Video)

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Dec 08, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (36) | comments 28

(PhysOrg.com) -- In 2004, Hubble created the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), the deepest visible-light image of the Universe, and now, with its brand-new camera, Hubble is seeing even farther. This image was ...


Virgin Galactic unveils commercial spaceship

Virgin Galactic unveils commercial spaceship

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 07, 2009 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (8) | comments 2

SpaceShipTwo (SS2) and its mothership, VMS Eve (WhiteKnightTwo) herald a new era in commercial space flight with daily space tourism flights set to commence from Spaceport America in New Mexico after test ...


Newly discovered star one of hottest in Galaxy

Newly discovered star one of hottest in Galaxy (w/ Video)

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Dec 02, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (21) | comments 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronomers at The University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics have discovered one of the hottest stars in the Galaxy with a surface temperature of around 200,000 degrees ...


Fermi Telescope Peers Deep into Microquasar

Fermi Telescope Peers Deep into Microquasar (w/ Video)

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Nov 27, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (17) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has made the first unambiguous detection of high-energy gamma-rays from an enigmatic binary system known as Cygnus X-3. The system pairs a hot, massive ...


The Energy Sources of Ultraluminous Galaxies

The Energy Sources of Ultraluminous Galaxies

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Nov 27, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (20) | comments 3

(PhysOrg.com) -- Ultraluminous infrared galaxies ((ULIRGs) are galaxies whose luminosity exceeds that of a trillion suns; for comparison, the Milky Way galaxy has a typical (and much more modest) luminosity ...


Superconductor magnet heat shield being developed

Superconductor magnet spacecraft heat shield being developed

Physics / General Physics

created Nov 26, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (44) | comments 28

(PhysOrg.com) -- European space agencies and an aerospace giant are developing a new re-entry heat shield that will use superconductor magnets to generate a magnetic field strong enough to deflect the superhot ...


Spitzer Telescope Observes Baby Brown Dwarf

Spitzer Telescope Observes Baby Brown Dwarf

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Nov 23, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (13) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has contributed to the discovery of the youngest brown dwarf ever observed -- a finding that, if confirmed, may solve an astronomical mystery about how these ...


Baffling boxy bulge

NGC 4710 galaxy: Baffling boxy bulge (w/ Video)

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Nov 18, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (14) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Just as many people are surprised to find themselves packing on unexplained weight around the middle, astronomers find the evolution of bulges in the centres of spiral galaxies puzzling. A ...


Ares I-X rocket

NASA puzzled why parachutes failed in rocket test

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 03, 2009 | popularity 3.4 / 5 (5) | comments 3

(AP) -- NASA still isn't sure why two parachutes failed during a test flight of its prototype moon rocket just over a month ago.


Robert Thirsk

ISS astronauts land safely in Kazakhstan

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 01, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

A space capsule carrying a Belgian, a Canadian and a Russian landed safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan on Tuesday after the trio spent half a year on the International Space Station (ISS).


The International Space Station

NASA: Floating 'junk' no threat to space station

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 28, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0

(AP) -- NASA says a piece of old space junk that it's been tracking for a few days is no threat to the International Space Station.


China is set to launch its second moon orbiter next October, state media have reported

China to launch second lunar probe: state media

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 27, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 0

China will launch its second moon orbiter next October, state media reported Friday, as it powers ahead with a space programme that has sparked concerns abroad.


Astronauts surprised by holiday turkey dinners (AP)

Astronauts surprised by holiday turkey dinners

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 26, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

(AP) -- Space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts thought they were going to give thanks with pantry leftovers Thursday as their mission drew to a close, but found turkey dinners awaiting them.


Russia: no space for space tourists (AP)

Russia: no space for space tourists

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 26, 2009 | popularity 2.7 / 5 (3) | comments 1

(AP) -- A top Russian space official says there is no space for tourists wishing to fly to the International Space Station.