Space is a fascinating place; the more we look up at the sky, the more curiously we want to know about it. All the stars, planets, moons, solar system, galaxies, outer space, and black holes and their stories make us so curious that sometimes we want to go there.
So until Elon Musk is able to find a solution to this curiosity, we are here with the top 15 interesting facts about space:
1. Olympus Mons
Standing three times higher than Mt. Everest and the width of Arizona, Olympus Mons is located on Mars with a height of 25 Km (16 miles), approximately three times taller than Mount Everest (5.5 miles), Which makes it the highest mountain in the solar system.
2. Oh! Come on Sun
We all know about the sun and its importance for our survival, but how many of you know that the weight of the sun is 330,000 times more in comparison with the earth? One more interesting fact about the sun is that its diameter is 109 times the diameter of the earth. The sun is so giant that earth can fit inside it around 1,300,000 times.
3. Toy Story Fact
If you are a Toy Story movie fan, then this fact is for you. Did you know that “Buzz Lightyear” (one of the characters from the movie) actually spent more than a year in space?
4. Mercury Fact
It’s the closest planet to the sun, so some people think it is the hottest planet, but that’s not the truth. Venus is, in fact, the hottest planet in the solar system. Also, in comparison to Earth, Mercury rotates slowly on its axis, and that’s why one day on the planet Mercury is equal to 58 days on earth. There is no atmosphere on Mercury.
5. Laika from Russia
Laika, a stray dog from Moscow, Russia, was the first living mammal to go to space in 1957. Unfortunately, he died within a few hours of launch.
6. The Moon Fact
Earth weighs 81 times more than the moon, and scientists do speculate that our moon is changing positions away from earth at the rate of 4 cm (1.6 inches) per year.
7. Height in Space
Okay, this is one weird fact; do you know that your height can grow up to two inches in space? So, if you are about to call Elon Musk, then don’t because that extra height will be lost when you enter into earth’s atmosphere from space.
8. Venus Facts
Venus is not a planet only. Actually, it is a gas chamber in itself that causes it to rain sulfuric acid and snow metal. Venus holds the record for more volcanoes than any planet.
9. Galaxies
Scientists claim that from the earth, we can see 3-7 galaxies from the naked eye. The closest galaxy to the earth is “Andromeda Galaxy,” which is approximately 2.5 million light years away. Spiral, elliptical and irregular are the three types of galaxies.
10. International Space Station
109 meters long and rotating around 400 kilometers from the Earth, ISS is the largest man-made object sent to space. ISS completes one rotation of the earth in 92 minutes only. It was estimated that outer space is approximately 100 kilometers away.
11. Earth
The only planet that was not named after God. It would take 8 minutes and 20 seconds for the light to be able to travel from the sun to the earth. Due to the tidal effect of the moon, the earth’s rotation is getting slightly slow.
12. Mars, Moon, and Ocean
We discovered all the Mars surface (100%) and the moon’s (earth’s moon) surface while we are able to map only five percent of the surface of our oceans.
13. 104 Satellites in One Go
In 2017, the Indian Space Research Organization set a world record by launching 104 satellites in one go.
14. Saturn Fact
Saturn is the lightest and second-largest planet in our solar system. Saturn is so light that it can swim over water.
15. WTF Fact
Through a telescope, we can see 70 sextillion stars from the earth, and there are approximately ten times more stars available in outer space than the grains of sand in the world.
Out of the never-ending black hole of facts, we tried to convey a list of the top interesting and little-known ones. We are hoping sooner or later, Elon will find a solution for us to visit the International Space Station. Till then, stay safe and happy reading!
