The world's unsolved problems
993 open questions across 14 fields, gathered from Wikipedia. Pick one and start thinking.
59 results in Astronomy · clear · surprise me
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Orbiting bodies and rotation
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Satellite geomorphology
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How common are Solar System-like planetary systems? (Some observed planetary systems contain Super-Earths and Hot Jupiters that orbit very…
How common are Solar System-like planetary systems? (Some observed planetary systems contain Super-Earths and Hot Jupiters that orbit very close to their stars. Systems with Jupiter-like planets in Jupiter-like orbits appear to be rare. There are several...
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Do Jupiter-mass Binary Objects (JuMBOs) exist?
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What are the processes that lead to planetary diversity?
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Is planetary formation fast or slow?
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Solar cycle
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What is the cause of solar wind?
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Coronal heating problem
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Space weather prediction
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Why sunspots sometimes form in pairs?
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What is the cause of solar flares?
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Solar polarization
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Voyager paradox
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What is the origin of the stellar mass spectrum? That is, why do astronomers observe the same distribution of stellar masses—the initial…
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?
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Supernova
What is the mechanism by which an implosion of a dying star becomes an explosion? What are the progenitors of a supernova?
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p-nuclei
What astrophysical process is responsible for the nucleogenesis of these rare isotopes?
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Fast radio bursts (FRBs)
What causes these transient radio pulses from distant galaxies, lasting a few milliseconds each? Why do some FRBs repeat at unpredictable intervals but many others do not? Several models have been proposed but no one theory has become widely accepted.
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The Oh-My-God particle and other ultra-high-energy cosmic rays
What physical processes create cosmic rays whose energy exceeds the GZK cutoff?
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Nature of KIC 8462852, commonly known as Tabby's Star
What is the origin of the unusual luminosity changes of this star?
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What are the source and origin of the IBEX ribbon?
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How does stellar multiplicity affect the life and death of stars?
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What are the most extreme stars and stellar populations?
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How do star-forming structures form from the diffuse interstellar medium? How do these structures interact with the ISM?
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Galaxy rotation problem
Is dark matter (solely) responsible for differences in observed and theoretical speed of stars revolving around the center of galaxies?
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Age–metallicity relation in the Galactic disk
Is there a universal age–metallicity relation (AMR) in the Galactic disk (both "thin" and "thick" parts of the disk)? In the local (primarily thin) disk of the Milky Way, there appears to be no evidence of a strong AMR. A sample of 229 nearby "thick" disk...
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Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs)
What powers X-ray sources that are not associated with active galactic nuclei but exceed the Eddington limit of a neutron star or stellar black hole? Are they due to intermediate-mass black holes? Some ULXs are periodic, suggesting non-isotropic emission...
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What is the origin of the Galactic Center GeV excess? Is it due to the annihilation of dark matter particles or a new population of…
What is the origin of the Galactic Center GeV excess? Is it due to the annihilation of dark matter particles or a new population of millisecond pulsars?
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The infrared/TeV crisis
Lack of attenuation of very energetic gamma rays from extragalactic sources.
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What is the nature of Little Red Dots?
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Data last refreshed 2026-10-20 03:01 UTC.