Buzz
Although we've already explored various solar system mysteries here, here, and here, we're back with even more baffling phenomena that continue to stump the best minds in science. One of these has even sparked wild conspiracy theories, adding to the intrigue.
10. The Mysterious ‘Sounds’ from Space
In the video above, you’ll find five perplexing ‘sounds’ from outer space, with three of them originating within our very own solar system. These so-called ‘sounds’ are actually radio or plasma waves converted into audible sound waves that we can hear.
First up, we hear the haunting radio emissions from Saturn's poles, captured by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft in April 2002. These fluctuating frequencies corresponded to Saturn’s auroras, similar to the radio emissions from Earth's auroras. Scientists believe these complex sounds emerged from numerous small radio sources moving along Saturn’s magnetic field lines near the poles. Some conspiracy theorists, however, believe the sounds resemble alien communication.
Next, we hear the eerie sound of NASA’s Voyager I entering interstellar space (beyond the Oort cloud) in 2012. This marked the farthest distance any spacecraft has ever traveled from Earth. After 35 years, we finally heard the haunting vibration of dense plasma (ionized gas) as it collided with a solar blast wave.
Third, we encounter the ‘xylophone music’ from Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, recorded by the Rosetta spacecraft in August 2014. Scientists believe this music arises from ‘oscillations in the magnetic field’ surrounding the comet, as detailed in an ESA blog post. To make it audible, the frequencies were amplified by about 10,000 times. Even now, the exact mechanism of these oscillations remains a mystery.
Next, we listen to the whistling sound (electromagnetic ‘whistler’ emissions) created by lightning on Jupiter, as recorded by Voyager. When these waves encountered the plasma above the planet, the higher frequencies moved faster than the lower ones along Jupiter’s magnetic field, producing those distinctive otherworldly whistling effects—similar to the Gorn weapons in the ‘Star Trek’ episode ‘Arena.’
Finally, we hear the ‘heartbeat’ of a ‘feeding black hole’ in the binary star system GRS 1915+105, recorded by NASA’s Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer in 1996 and converted into sound by scientists at MIT. NASA also captured the heartbeat of another black hole in the IGR J17091-3624 system in 2003.
9. The Hidden Magnetic Portals Around Earth
If you're familiar with the science fiction idea of a wormhole—essentially a tunnel shortcut connecting two far-flung points in space—then you have an idea of what a magnetic portal is. The difference is that magnetic portals are real. They're hidden around Earth, opening and closing many times throughout the day. These portals are unstable, invisible, and typically short-lived. For the short time we've known about them, predicting their behavior has been a challenge, but that might be changing.
Earth is surrounded by a magnetosphere, an invisible magnetic field created by the planet’s molten core. In the upper atmosphere, magnetic force lines from Earth and the Sun occasionally converge to form X-points, gateways to these concealed magnetic portals. Each portal establishes a continuous 150-million-kilometer (90 million mi) pathway from Earth's atmosphere to the Sun's, allowing solar particles to flow into the magnetosphere, provided the portal stays open long enough. When this occurs, it can trigger geomagnetic storms, potentially causing auroras and disruptions to electrical grids.
Plasma physicist Jack Scudder has discovered that we may be able to predict when X-points occur. “We’ve identified five simple combinations of magnetic field and energetic particle measurements that can signal when we’re at an X-point or electron diffusion region,” said Scudder. “A single spacecraft, properly equipped, can make these measurements.”
NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission was launched in early 2015 to search for these magnetic portals and to collect more data on them.
8. The Phenomenon of Dark Lightning
Though the likelihood is considered minimal, it's possible that you've already been struck by dark lightning—and its beams of antimatter—without even realizing it.
Dark lightning, also referred to as ‘terrestrial gamma-ray flashes,’ is produced by thunderstorms. These storms generate not only visible lightning but also potent bursts of radiation through invisible dark lightning. Gamma ray emissions are typically linked with phenomena like nuclear explosions, supermassive black holes, and supernovae. So it was quite surprising when these emissions were discovered coming from thunderstorms.
Unlike visible lightning, which travels from cloud to cloud or between clouds and the ground in a bolt formation, dark lightning moves upward in all directions toward space, even into airspace where commercial airplanes fly. If you fly often, you may be exposed to this radiation more frequently than you realize. Additionally, dark lightning releases positrons, the antimatter counterpart to electrons.
Scientists believe that the radiation dose from a dark lightning strike is probably comparable to that of a CT scan, but they're still uncertain. If you're exposed to enough radiation, either in a single incident or over time, it could cause damage to your body. However, it won't result in the severe harm associated with a direct strike from visible lightning.
The chances of being struck by dark lightning are low because pilots generally avoid flying through thunderstorms. “The doses rarely reach dangerous levels,” says physicist Joseph Dwyer. “The radiation from dark lightning is not something to be afraid of, and it’s not a reason to avoid flying. I would have no qualms about flying with my kids.”
There is still much we don't understand about dark lightning. While we believe it occurs when high-energy electrons collide with air molecules during a thunderstorm, we’re still uncertain about how visible lightning and dark lightning are connected. Additionally, we don’t know how frequently dark lightning takes place or whether anyone has ever been struck by it.
7. The Enigmatic Bright Spots on Ceres
Previously, we mentioned that Feature 5, a bright spot on the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres, could be a cryovolcano, a water-emitting volcano that might suggest the presence of an underground ocean. Now, new images from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft are adding more layers to the mystery.
Initially, we observed another bright spot, known as ‘Feature 1,’ on Ceres's surface. However, the two spots appeared differently in thermal images. Feature 1 showed up as a dark spot in infrared images, indicating it was cooler than the surrounding area. In contrast, Feature 5 didn’t appear in thermal images at all, suggesting its temperature matched that of its surroundings. The implications of this are unclear. It could mean the spots are composed of different materials, or perhaps the ground around them is distinct.
The next set of images only added to the enigma. Instead of just two spots, we discovered that the spots are actually a collection of several separate bright points of varying sizes, with a central cluster. The most brilliant spots are located within a crater approximately 90 kilometers (55 miles) wide.
‘The bright spots in this arrangement make Ceres unique compared to anything we've encountered elsewhere in the solar system,’ said Christopher Russell, leader of the Dawn mission. ‘The science team is investigating their origin. In my opinion, reflection from ice seems the most likely cause, but we are also exploring alternative possibilities, such as salt.’
Ceres also lacks the large surface craters we expected to find. ‘When we compare the size of [Ceres's] craters with those on [protoplanet] Vesta, we notice the absence of several larger craters,’ said Russell. ‘That’s something we need to understand better.’
However, Ceres displays more signs of activity, such as landslides and surface flows, than Vesta does. Additionally, Ceres features a steep mountain rising from its relatively smooth surface.
6. Mercury Just Doesn’t Add Up
For four years, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft orbited Mercury, capturing images of massive cliffs (called ‘fault scarps’) that resemble enormous staircases. The largest of these stretched over 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) in length and towered over 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) high.
Fault scarps form when rocks are pushed into these patterns along fractures in a planet’s crust. For Mercury, many scientists think these scarps are surface ‘wrinkles’ caused by the planet shrinking by up to 14 kilometers (9 miles) in diameter as its core solidified. However, the scarps don’t seem to fit the expected pattern. If they were caused by shrinkage, they should appear evenly distributed across Mercury’s surface. Instead, most scarps are found in two broad strips running from north to south on opposite sides of the planet. Additionally, there are half as many scarps in the northern hemisphere as there are in the southern hemisphere.
But that’s not the only oddity about Mercury. It’s also too distant from the Sun.
Through studying data from NASA’s Kepler spacecraft, scientists have realized that only one other solar system resembles ours. In fact, many stars are surrounded by Systems of Tightly packed Inner Planets (STIPs). Over time, collisions between these inner planets leave only a few survivors. If the scientists’ models are accurate, our solar system once had up to four additional planets orbiting inside of Venus. After all the collisions, only Mercury remained.
This could explain why Mercury has an unusual amount of heavier elements but a lack of lighter ones. Perhaps collisions with other space objects stripped away the planet’s lighter crust, exposing a denser core. It might also clarify why models of our solar system suggest that there was far too much material orbiting the Sun for just one planet to form so close to it.
‘If every star once had a system of STIPs, that would imply that modelers have been overlooking planetary formation for quite some time,’ said scientist Kevin Walsh. ‘We’ve always aimed to create models that account for just our four rocky planets, but if this theory is correct, we’ve long ignored the possibility that we might have formed three to five planets as large as or even bigger than Earth within Mercury’s orbit. Now, that would be incredibly fascinating!’
5. Mysterious Cloud-Like Plumes Over Mars
In early 2012, amateur astronomer Wayne Jaeschke noticed an unusual cloud over Mars. Unlike the typical thin, wispy clouds that usually form on the planet, these enormous flares erupted from the surface, reaching an altitude of 240 kilometers (150 mi), which was more than twice the height of any cloud observed before. These plumes were also exceptionally wide, spanning 500–1,000 kilometers (300–600 mi).
The initial plumes lasted just over a week in March 2012, and similar ones briefly appeared in April 2012. Even after consulting fellow amateur astronomers, Jaeschke couldn't explain what he had seen. So, he presented his findings to professional astronomers, but they were equally baffled.
Upon reviewing historical data, professional astronomers discovered Hubble Space Telescope images from 1997 that revealed a similar cloud on Mars. After their analysis, they concluded that the strange plumes were not composed of ice crystals, as Mars' atmosphere is too warm for that. It also seemed unlikely that the plumes were an aurora, like the northern lights on Earth, as the solar conditions required for such an aurora were absent on the days the Martian plumes appeared. Yet, these plumes were 1,000 times brighter than anything ever recorded on Earth.
Not every planetary scientist is convinced these plumes are real. However, the majority argue that 19 different observers have documented these peculiar eruptions.
In another discovery made by NASA’s Mars orbiter, researchers have identified traces of 'impact glass' in several craters on Mars. This dark-colored material, resembling freshly cooled lava, forms when a comet or asteroid strikes a planetary surface, melting a large portion of rock and soil that quickly solidifies into glass.
This impact glass can act as a time capsule, preserving remnants of life that existed before and after the collision. It can also trap the atmospheric gases present at the time of the impact. If we can find a way to analyze it, impact glass might provide answers to some long-standing mysteries about Mars.
4. The Origin Of Russia’s Asteroid
In February 2013, a previously undetected meteor, measuring 20 meters (65 ft) in diameter, exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, with the force equivalent to 30 Hiroshima bombs. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but the shockwave from the explosion reached the city about a minute later, injuring over 1,200 people due to shattered glass from broken windows.
More than two years later, the origin of the meteor remains a mystery. Initially, scientists suspected it might have come from 1999 NC43, a near-Earth asteroid roughly 2 kilometers (1 mile) wide. However, it appears the only connection between the two was their similar orbits around Earth. 'The composition of the Chelyabinsk meteorite, recovered after the event, closely resembles that of a common type of meteorite known as LL chondrites,' said scientist Vishnu Reddy. 'However, the near-Earth asteroid has a distinctly different composition.' Ultimately, scientists had to concede that it’s difficult to link a meteor to a specific asteroid, as most asteroids are small and follow chaotic orbits.
We were fortunate that the Chelyabinsk meteor didn’t explode closer to Earth’s surface, which could have caused even more injuries and destruction. However, the event served as a wake-up call, emphasizing the need for proactive searches for potentially hazardous asteroids. This prompted the ESA to establish an asteroid warning center. In 2018, the nonprofit B612 Foundation, dedicated to asteroid defense, planned to launch the Sentinel Space Telescope to locate potential threats. If we can detect them early, we possess the technology to prevent future meteor catastrophes in an economically viable manner.
3. Planet X
As recently as 2014, scientists were adamant that Planet X, a hypothetical planet beyond Pluto, did not exist. However, by early 2015, their stance shifted. After analyzing the orbits of 13 extreme trans-Neptunian objects (ETNOs)—distant bodies like the dwarf planets Sedna and 2012 VP113 that orbit the Sun beyond Pluto—some scientists now believe that at least two more planets, larger than Earth, namely Planet X and Planet Y, may indeed exist in our solar system.
The orbits of the ETNOs are expected to average around 150 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, where one AU is roughly 150 million kilometers (90 million miles), the same distance between Earth and the Sun. These orbits were also anticipated to be nearly flat with an inclination of about zero degrees. However, the reality differs. The actual orbits of the 13 ETNOs have distances ranging from 150 to 525 AU, and their inclinations average approximately 20 degrees.
'The presence of so many objects with such surprising orbital characteristics leads us to believe that invisible forces may be modifying the distribution of the ETNOs' orbits. The most plausible explanation, we think, is that there are unknown planets beyond Neptune and Pluto,' said Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, the lead researcher. 'While the exact number remains uncertain, our calculations indicate there are at least two, and possibly more, planets within the boundaries of our solar system.'
There could, of course, be alternative explanations for these unexpected orbits. But considering that we didn’t believe anything existed beyond Pluto in our solar system until 1992, and only just discovered 2012 VP113, no one can claim with certainty that additional planetary bodies are not present in the far reaches of our solar system. Our technology isn’t advanced enough to detect everything just yet.
2. X-Files From The Edge Of Space
It has been nearly half a century since atmospheric infrasound, which consists of sound waves with frequencies below 20 hertz, was first recorded. These frequencies fall below the range of human hearing, so the sounds in the video above have been sped up 1,000 times to make them audible. Daniel Bowman, a graduate student from the University of North Carolina who recorded the sounds, describes the eerie hisses, crackles, and whistles as reminiscent of something from The X-Files. Others, however, might interpret them as mere radio interference.
Scientists are fascinated by the mysterious sounds because their origin remains unexplained. In 2014, as part of the High Altitude Student Platform (HASP), Bowman embarked on a nine-hour journey aboard a high-altitude balloon, soaring to an altitude of over 37,500 meters (125,000 feet) above Earth. This atmospheric zone is known as 'near space,' located beneath the orbit of satellites but above the airspace where commercial aircraft fly. Bowman, using equipment he crafted himself, became the first person to record infrasound at such an extreme height.
In the 1960s, scientists believed that atmospheric infrasound could be used to detect nuclear explosions, but their interest waned once ground-based sensors proved to be more effective. However, Bowman’s complex recordings over New Mexico have startled modern researchers. They plan to launch another HASP balloon to further investigate the unusual infrasound. 'I believe this work has opened new opportunities for research,' stated geophysicist Omar Marcillo. 'It is crucial for the scientific community as a whole.'
At present, most serious scientists dismiss the idea that the sounds come from extraterrestrials. Weather phenomena like storms can generate infrasonic waves, as can events like earthquakes, meteors, and volcanic eruptions. Potential sources of the infrasound recorded in this instance include clear air turbulence, wind turbulence, ocean wave crashes, gravity waves, signals from a nearby wind farm, and vibrations caused by the balloon’s cable.
1. Pluto’s Miniature Solar System
Pluto and its five moons present a strikingly unique configuration, resembling a miniature solar system. It’s believed that Charon, the largest of Pluto’s moons, was formed after a massive collision between Pluto and an unidentified large object. The other moons—Hydra, Kerberos, Nix, and Styx—might have emerged from the debris of that event. If this theory is correct, all the moons should appear similar. But they don’t.
By examining images from the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists noticed that Kerberos is darker than Hydra, Nix, and Styx. If they all originated from the same impact, this difference in appearance is puzzling. So, what’s the origin of Kerberos?
One possibility is that Pluto captured Kerberos during a collision with another object. Alternatively, if Kerberos was part of the same crash that created the other moons, it could simply be a darker fragment from the core of the impacting object. However, this still doesn’t fully explain the color disparity. Scientists suspect that over billions of years, the moons would have exchanged materials, making their colors more similar over time.
Another theory suggests that the moons may be identical on the inside, despite Kerberos appearing different externally. However, given our current distance from them, it’s difficult to verify. A final hypothesis is that Kerberos looks distinct because of its shape—possibly resembling a doughnut or potato—compared to the other moons.
Another unexpected finding is that Hydra, Nix, and Styx are in a Laplace resonance, meaning that their gravitational forces interact with one another, locking their orbits into a synchronized pattern as they orbit Pluto. In our solar system, only Jupiter’s moons Europa, Ganymede, and Io share this type of orbital resonance.
Generally, orbital resonance occurs when the gravitational pull between at least two objects causes them to orbit a common parent body in a specific, recurring pattern. For instance, Pluto and Neptune are in a 2:3 resonance, where Pluto completes two orbits around the Sun (its parent body) for every three orbits Neptune makes.
