It’s Space Week 2022! To kick off a series of special blogs I have some out-of-this-world space facts which will blow your minds. If it doesn’t blow your mind- you can ask for your money back.
That’ll get you a speeding ticket
Did you know? That for a space rocket to actually get into space it has to reach speeds of around 17,600 miles per hour?
That will definitely get you a speeding ticket, even if you told the police officer you were travelling that quick to get to space.
A big spare bedroom
The sun, the thing that gives life to our universe- well that and custard creams, is huge! So big you could fit almost 1.3 million Earths inside it.
Is anybody else feeling incredibly small right now? I’m 6ft 4″, and feeling small is an unusual feeling for me.
makes your freezer look like a cooker
Space is incredibly cold. So cold that it would make your freezer look like a cooker if you sent it to space.
Space is around -270 degrees Celsius.
For context, the coldest recorded temperature on Earth was a sweltering (in comparison) -82 degrees Celsius.
Now that’s out-of-this-world! (Literally)
shine bright like a diamond
Astronomers think they’ve discovered a planet made of diamonds.
The planet is called 55 Cancrie. (rolls right off the tongue) is twice as big as Earth and has a surface of granite and diamonds. It’s 40 million light years away- but still visible to the human eye.
I dread to think how much rent on that planet would be.
Demotion!
Pluto was demoted from planet to dwarf planet in 2006.
Why was it demoted? Because the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has a list of three criteria that makes a planet a real planet- pluto didn’t meet all them so they demoted the poor planet.
How embarrassing.
What makes a planet a planet?
Perhaps this is something I should do some more in-depth writing about. But since I mentioned that there are three criteria that make a planet- I’ll tell you what they are.
Number 1- It must orbit a star (the sun in our solar system), any star will do though. But to be a planet it has to be orbiting one of them.
Number 2- It must be big enough to have enough gravity to force it into a spherical shape. When you blow a bubble it tries to make itself into the smallest shape possible, planets with strong gravity pull are the same. That smallest shape just happens to be a sphere.
Number 3- It must be big enough that its gravity cleared away any other objects of similar size near its orbit around the sun. This one is a bit confusing, to be honest, but basically to be a planet you have to be lonely and can’t orbit with any friends too close by.
For general information Pluto failed on number 3- punished for wanting friends, a tad harsh don’t you think?
In space, nobody can hear you fart.
Space is completely silent. You could fart as loud as you like and nobody will hear it. There is no way for sound to travel in space.
Word of warning- radio waves can still travel in space so make sure your radio is off before you let one rip.
Oh wait, is the tagline “in space, nobody can hear you scream?” – personally, I think nobody can hear you fart better.
Brace for impact!
Our solar system is in the Milky Way galaxy. A neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda, is hurtling towards us and will eventually collide with our Milky way.
Don’t worry just yet though- it probably won’t happen for another 3.75 billion years, we got plenty of time to worry about it later.
feeling hot, hot, hot
Now you’d be forgiven for thinking that Mercury is the hottest planet in the solar system. It would make sense because Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.
Mind-blowingly though- it’s actually Venus which takes the title of the “hottest planet in the solar system”. A sweltering 450 degrees celsius. I do not want to visit there- not without the best air conditioning the world has to offer of course.
Where’s your moon?
Whilst we’re on the topic of Venus.
Venus and Mercury are the only planets in the solar system without any moons. Any moon they had would be pulled into the sun… so the suns a thief.
In contrast, Saturn has 82 known moons- I say known because there are more being discovered all the time. And just as an extra flex Saturn’s largest moon Titan is actually bigger than Mercury.
Earth’s moon is the fifth largest in the solar system.
An expensive outfit
A NASA space suit with everything that comes with it costs a staggering £11 million. Most of that is spent on the backpack.
That’s the last time I complain about spending £20 on a pair of trousers.
water in space
12 billion light years away from Earth in 2011 astronomers found a huge water vapour cloud in space! It contained more than 140 trillion (a bigger number I can even imagine) more water inside than there is on Earth.
The water is about 1.6 billion years old and the largest body of water ever found (well seen).