The universe is full of inexplicable phenomena that can make even the bravest of humans tremble. No matter how many horror movies you’ve seen, space makes you realize that the place where no one can hear you scream is more terrifying than any fictional story people can create. There is no Michael Myer to chase us or Freddy Krueger to haunt our dreams in the cosmos, but it still spooks us.
The very fact that we inhabit a frantically spinning ball that revolves around the Sun that is itself gradually becoming brighter is enough to cause shivers down your spine. Or that small fireballs, the brilliant stars that illuminate our skies, are going to die one day. Not only that, but they will also explode… Yes, the mere thought of this may prompt you to question your whole existence. But wait, there’s more….
Thousands of miles away from Earth where only a few of us have gone, you can find something more terrifying than the fate of the Sun and stars. We’re talking about the scariest places in the universe that look like something out of your worst nightmare. Not even the most creative horror movie directors could have made them up. Are you sure you want to see what we’ve prepared for you?
If you are, we present you the top five scariest places in the universe that will make films like Psycho and Midsommar pale in comparison.
“Hand of God”
Religion and astronomy might not have a lot in common, but a 2014 finding made many rethink this belief. Six years ago, NASA published an X-ray image that captured a celestial object that very much resembles the “Hand of God.” Don’t think this is possible? Have a look at the picture yourself!
Do you see the shape of a hand? If you look closely, the hand might appear like an X-ray from the doctor’s office. Imagine it wrapping around you as you explore the universe many years from now!
The “Hand of God” can serve as an inspiration for some future science fiction books or movies set aboard a spaceship. Perhaps we will soon watch a Hollywood blockbuster featuring this phenomenon or other scariest places in the universe.
But, is there a logical explanation for the “Hand of God?” According to NASA, what we see is a cloud of material ejected from a star that exploded. The result of that is this photo that appears to show an open hand.
Would you like to see it in person?
A Screaming Skull
Just looking at the “Hand of God” is enough to make you wonder whether you would like to visit space. But wait until you see our other scariest places in the universe, including a screaming skull.
On October 31, 2000, NASA prepared a gift for all fans of Halloween. The agency released a photo showing a skull that appeared as if it were emerging from a huge fire. The ghastly face looks like it is suffering through a miserable death. Check out the photo to see what we are talking about! No worries though, no real skulls were harmed in the making of this photograph.
The haunting image depicts the Perseus Cluster of Galaxies in X-rays. It is about 240 million light-years away from us, containing thousands of galaxies. NASA’s photo shows a cloud of intracluster gas captured at the right moment. Two dark bubbles are the eyes in a skull, while a third elongated bubble forms a toothless mouth.
How would you react if you saw this screaming skull during Halloween?
“The Ghost of Cassiopeia”
Our article on the scariest places in the universe would not be complete without a ghost-looking phenomenon. But don’t worry, it is 550 light-years from Earth. Nothing could stop it from haunting your dreams, though…
We present to you “the Ghost of Cassiopeia,” a stunning and eerie nebula revealed in 2016. It looks like something straight out of The Conjuring universe, except the Warrens aren’t here to help you wake up from this nightmare.
According to NASA, powerful gushers of energy from seething stars have the ability to sculpt eerie-looking figures. They even add flowing veils of gas and dust to complete the picture. This phenomenon might remind you of apparitions that you can find in paranormal investigation shows. However, what you see is hydrogen that is bombarded with ultraviolet radiation.
“The Ghost of Cassiopeia” is located in the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen. But something tells us you would not like to visit this and other scariest places in the universe.
Witch Head Nebula
When The Blair Witch Project was released in 1999, it proved that what scared people the most was the stuff they couldn’t see. The woods north in Burkittsville generated so much terrible noise that some viewers could barely watch the movie until the end. However, you can see pretty much everything in our next scariest place in the universe. Perhaps it won’t terrify you as much as The Blair Witch Project. Determine this yourself!
In 2008, NASA’s Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) captured a photo that seemed to show a known figure emerging from the dark skies of space about 900 light-years from Earth. The image shows the Witch Head nebula that strongly resembles the profile of, you’ve guessed it, a wicked witch. The nebula is even more terrifying as it is illuminated by light reflected from the star.
Can you hear the witch in the photo laughing or is that just us?
The Witch Head nebula is actually an ancient supernova remnant that was even featured in a TV show. That’s right, Andromeda, a sci-fi television series, mentions this nebula in passing. But, if you ask us, this eerie interstellar cloud deserves a leading role in a future movie! Perhaps Christopher Nolan will come up with something.
We’ll finish our article on the scariest places in the universe with a star that will look familiar to the fans of J. R. R. Tolkien.
“The Eye of Sauron”
Little could escape the Eye of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings. Only a few could endure its terrible gaze. But the watchful eye does not exist only in the books. Quite the contrary, if you search long enough, you could find it in a far away galaxy…
NGC 4151 is a spiral galaxy located 52 million light-years from Earth. When scientists discovered it, one name came to mind — “the Eye of Sauron.” This is because the galaxy resembles the malevolent character from Tolkien’s books. Indeed, it is like the omnipresent evil that watches over Mordor somehow found its way into space.
But, how is it possible that we see “the Eye of Sauron” millions of light-years away from Tolkien’s world? The phenomenon in front of you occurred because of X-ray emissions that happened about 25,000 years ago.
If you take a long hard look at NGC 4151, you might feel that “the Eye of Sauron” knows everything about you. Do you have something to hide?
These five scariest places in the universe show that Robert Eggers, James Wan, Ari Aster, and other extraordinary horror movie directors aren’t the only ones who could make your blood run cold.
Tell us in the comments section which of these places you would steer clear of!