People are fascinated by space and for good reason. It’s a vast expanse filled with such inscrutable mysteries that people cannot help but study it. Among the numerous discoveries that have been made so far, these are some of the most interesting facts about space…
Fascinating Space Facts
1. You can only hear your thoughts in space…
Space is silent. Astronauts can’t just shout instructions at one another because there is no medium to carry sound. They rely on radios to communicate.
2. However, you can’t write them down
You can’t write in space, not with an ordinary pen at any rate. There is no gravity to drag the ink into the nib. Astronauts have special pens for this very reason.
3. Our universe has countless stars
Some scholars believe that there are 70 sextillion stars in the universe. That number probably sounds enormous but it is just a rough estimate. No one actually knows how many stars there are. The universe is a truly massive place.
4. Think twice before taking metal into space
You are discouraged from bringing two pieces of the same metal into contact with one another while in space. Cold welding will occur. This is where the atoms of the two metals fuse, permanently bonding the metal pieces together.
5. A once in a lifetime experience
If you are among the people who saw Halley’s Comet in 1986, count yourself lucky. Everyone else must wait until 2061 to see it again because it makes its rounds once every 75 years. And in case you didn’t know, the comet gets its name from Edmond Halley. He discovered it back in 1705.
6. Start saving now if your dream destination is space
If you want to go to space on your own, prepare to spend a whopping $12 million on the spacesuit alone. This is what a NASA spacesuit costs!
7. The distances between objects in space is huge
When people use the term ‘light year’, they are referring to the distance that light covers in a single year. The distances between objects in space are so vast that they can only be measured using light-years.
8. Earth’s name is quite an enigma
No one knows where Earth got its name. Most other planets are named after gods. But this does not apply to the Earth whose name is a mixture of Old English and German.
9. The word ‘astronaut’ has greek roots
If you have ever wondered where the word ‘Astronaut’ came from, it’s a combination of Greek words that mean ‘Star Sailor’.
Amazing Space Facts
10. Moon and Earth – two pieces of the same puzzle
The Moon and the Earth were once the same object. The Moon fell away from the Earth after a collision between the planet and another object which caused a piece to break off.
11. There’s water in space
People think that water is a substance only found on planets. But astronomers have discovered a body of floating water billions of light-years away. The mass of this water is 140 trillion times that of the water in the Earth’s oceans!
12. Footprints prove that man walked on the moon
Decades ago, Apollo astronauts walked on the Moon. Because there is no wind or water on the Moon, their footprints will remain in place for a hundred million years.
13. Diamonds are forever…even in space
55 Cancri e is just 40 light-years away from Earth. As far as planets go, it is one of the most impressive because there is evidence suggesting that it is made of diamonds.
14. Light travels fast
The Earth and the Moon seem so distant from one another. But it takes light just 1.3 seconds to cross from one of these objects to the other.
15. The unfortunate destiny of the first dog in space
The first mammal in space was Laika, a stray Russian dog. It died roughly 6 hours after launch. That was in 1957. The cause of death was most likely stress and overheating.
FAQs about Space
Who were the first people in space?
Although we all know the timeless words of Neil Armstrong being “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” as he first set foot on the moon, the first man actually in space was, in fact, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
What is the smallest planet?
Mercury is the smallest planet in our known solar system and is also the planet that is closest to the Sun.
Can star a star become a planet?
Yes, stars can, in fact, become planets! However, this is a rare occurrence that only happens to specific kinds of stars known as brown dwarfs.
Do you know any fun facts about Space? Share them in the comments below!
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