Starwatch for January 2025
Written by Karl Hricko on January 17, 2025
Hello! I’m Karl Hricko of United Astronomy Clubs of NJ and the National Space Society, bringing you the January Starwatch for WNTI – the sound of Centenary.
The idea of parallel universes has been introduced in many science fiction novels in the past. But then in 1957, the physicist Hugh Everett III proposed that we may be living in a multiverse of parallel worlds, based on findings from experiments in quantum mechanics. This implies that all possible outcomes in quantum measurements occur in different worlds-and is called superposition. Another observation is the appearance and disappearance of virtual particles, which might indicate movement from one universe into another.
Possible large scale evidence for this many world theory is the appearance of a cool spot in the microwave energy left over after the Big Bang. This could be where a parallel bubble type of universe has impacted us and left an imprint.
Parallel universes can be divided into those which are too far away to be seen, but are still in our dimension of space-time, and those which are in a different dimension. Scientists have theorized we may travel to a parallel universe by going through a wormhole in the fabric of space-time. They say to do this, exotic matter must be used to prevent the wormhole from collapsing. This type of matter has recently been made on the Space Station, and is called the Bose-Einstein Condensate. We’re on our way!
Sticking strictly to our universe and our solar system, if we look up to the east after sunset in Gemini we’ll see Mars. At the same time, Jupiter will appear to the south in Taurus. Shifting to the southwest, you should see a conjunction between dazzling Venus and Saturn in Aquarius. In the morning, if you have more than 20/20 vision, Mercury is hanging on to Ophiuchus in the southeast. So if you don’t like where you are or what you’re doing, just find a wormhole and journey into a parallel universe
Until our next Starwatch – Don’t forget to check out … What’s up in the night sky!
