Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

A Force from Empty Space: The Casimir Effect

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 1, 2004 is “A Force from Empty Space: The Casimir Effect,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Credit & Copyright: Umar Mohideen ( U. California at Riverside )). The original explanation runs about 167 words.

A Force from Empty Space: The Casimir Effect
Credit & Copyright: Umar Mohideen ( U. California at Riverside ) Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“This tiny ball provides evidence that the universe will expand forever. Measuring slightly over one tenth of a millimeter, the ball moves toward a smooth plate in response to energy fluctuations in the vacuum of empty space.”

— APOD editors, August 1, 2004

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
August 1, 2004
Type
Image
Credit
Credit & Copyright: Umar Mohideen ( U. California at Riverside )
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 167 words

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.