When you look up at the stars, what do you think? Do you wonder if we’re alone or how big everything is? Space is full of questions, and we don’t have all the answers yet. We know it’s really big and pretty, but we’re not sure how big or how pretty.
Here are some really cool things we do know about space. These 10 space facts might surprise you and make you even more amazed by the stars.
1. Space is Silent, there’s no air for sound to travel through
So, it’s super quiet out there. Even though stars are shining and things are moving, you wouldn’t hear a thing. On Earth, we have air, so we can hear lots of sounds, but in space, it’s peaceful and quiet.
2. Spinning Neutron Stars
Imagine a star spinning around really fast. These are called neutron stars, and they’re like super-duper fast spinners. They’re born when big stars explode. Some neutron stars can spin up to 600 times in just one second! It’s like they’re doing a superfast dance.
So, when you look up at the stars, remember that space is full of surprises. It’s so quiet that you wouldn’t hear anything, and some stars spin faster than you could ever imagine. Space is like a big puzzle, and scientists are still trying to figure it out.
3. Uncountable Stars
The universe is filled with an unimaginable number of stars. We can’t even begin to count them all. To get an idea, scientists estimate the stars in our Milky Way galaxy and then multiply that by the number of galaxies in the universe. This math is tough, but NASA can confidently say there are zillions of stars out there. Zillion means a whole lot that we can’t count.
4. Apollo Astronauts’ Footprints
The footprints left by astronauts on the moon might stay there for about 100 million years. The moon doesn’t have air or water to rub them away. So, the marks from their boots, rover wheels, and other things will stay on the moon for a very long time.
5. 99% of the Solar System’s Mass is the Sun
Our sun is super heavy. It makes up a massive 99% of everything in our solar system. It’s like the boss of the planets, pulling them with its strong gravity. This sun is a “G-type main-sequence star,” which means every second, it turns 600 million tons of hydrogen into helium. It’s like a never-ending energy factory.
6. Energy from the Sun
The sun gives Earth more energy in one hour than we use in a whole year. Solar energy is becoming more popular. In 2017 alone, the world produced 98.9 gigawatts of solar power. But even though this sounds like a lot, it’s still just a small bit of the energy we need.
7. Cold Welding in Space
In space, if two pieces of the same metal touch, they’ll stick together forever. This magical thing is called cold welding. The tiny particles in the metal don’t realize they’re separate pieces. This can’t happen on Earth because of air and water between them. This discovery has big implications for building things in space.
8. The Giant Space Rock
The biggest space rock in our solar system is called Ceres. It’s almost 600 miles wide, like a huge rock the size of India or Argentina. It’s found in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres is like a dwarf planet, and it’s way bigger than other space rocks around.
9. Venus’ Slow Spin
One day on Venus is longer than a whole year on Earth! Venus spins really slowly, taking about 243 Earth days to finish one turn. But it moves faster around the sun, taking only 226 Earth days. It’s like a topsy-turvy world where the sun rises only two times each year.
10. Jupiter’s Changing Storm
Jupiter’s famous Red Spot, a huge storm, is getting smaller. It used to fit about three Earths, but now only one Earth can fit inside. Strangely, while it’s shrinking in width, it’s growing taller. Scientists are puzzled about why this is happening, but some think it’s because of winds on Jupiter changing their direction.