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Unsolved Problems in Astronomy: Universe: The Infinite Frontier (Television

The document discusses unsolved problems in astronomy, including the origin of the stellar mass spectrum, the existence of life elsewhere in the universe, the nature of dark matter and dark energy, and the ultimate fate of the universe. It also briefly mentions contributions that amateur astronomers can make and improvements in digital technology for astrophotography.

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32 views

Unsolved Problems in Astronomy: Universe: The Infinite Frontier (Television

The document discusses unsolved problems in astronomy, including the origin of the stellar mass spectrum, the existence of life elsewhere in the universe, the nature of dark matter and dark energy, and the ultimate fate of the universe. It also briefly mentions contributions that amateur astronomers can make and improvements in digital technology for astrophotography.

Uploaded by

piping stress
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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8/23/2020 Astronomy - Wikipedia

Amateur astronomers continue to make scientific contributions to the field of astronomy and it is one of
the few scientific disciplines where amateurs can still make significant contributions. Amateurs can
make occultation measurements that are used to refine the orbits of minor planets. They can also
discover comets, and perform regular observations of variable stars. Improvements in digital technology
have allowed amateurs to make impressive advances in the field of astrophotography.[111][112][113]

Unsolved problems in astronomy


Although the scientific discipline of astronomy has made tremendous strides in understanding the
nature of the Universe and its contents, there remain some important unanswered questions. Answers to
these may require the construction of new ground- and space-based instruments, and possibly new
developments in theoretical and experimental physics.

What is the origin of the stellar mass spectrum? That is, why do astronomers observe the same
distribution of stellar masses—the initial mass function—apparently regardless of the initial
conditions?[114] A deeper understanding of the formation of stars and planets is needed.
Is there other life in the Universe? Especially, is there other intelligent life? If so, what is the
explanation for the Fermi paradox? The existence of life elsewhere has important scientific and
philosophical implications.[115][116] Is the Solar System normal or atypical?
What is the nature of dark matter and dark energy? These dominate the evolution and fate of the
cosmos, yet their true nature remains unknown.[117]
What will be the ultimate fate of the universe?[118]
How did the first galaxies form?[119] How did supermassive black holes form?[120]
What is creating the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays?[121]
Why is the abundance of lithium in the cosmos four times lower than predicted by the standard Big
Bang model?[122]
What really happens beyond the event horizon?[123]

See also
Airmass List of software for astronomy research and
Astronomical acronyms education
Astronomical instruments Outline of space science
Cosmogony Science tourism
International Year of Astronomy Space exploration
List of astronomy acronyms Starlight
List of Russian astronomers and Stellar collision
astrophysicists Universe: The Infinite Frontier (television
series)

References
1. Unsöld, Albrecht; Baschek, Bodo (2001). Classical Astronomy and the Solar System – Introduction.
p. 1.
2. Unsöld, Albrecht; Baschek, Bodo (2001). Classical Astronomy and the Solar System. pp. 6–9.
3. http://oaq.epn.edu.ec/ Official Web Site of one of the oldest Observatories in South America, the
Quito Astronomical Observatory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy 17/26

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