Humanity has always been excited by space.
It is something that people have found to be exciting, ever since the dawn of time.
And indeed, a great deal of effort was put into the exploration of space, across multiple civilizations from all parts of the world.
The times may have passed.
But the enthusiasm as only grown, and indeed, taken on a whole new level, thanks to the advancements in science and technology.
Today, there are various agencies and indeed, even private companies from all corners of the world eager to conquer the final frontier.
Despite all the effort, we still have much to learn and know about space and beyond.
While there may be a lot to discover about space, we still know much about space as well.
Here is the list of ten amazing facts about space exploration that you would find amazing:
10. The Stars are Brighter and More Numerous Once You Leave the Earth’s Atmosphere
When you look at the sky from the earth, you will notice that there are a few stars, and not many of them are bright.
This is because of what is called light pollution. In addition to it, the atmosphere also causes a part of the brightness to disappear.
To some extent, you can remedy it by going to a place with little or no human activity. Such places have very little light pollution, giving view to a very bright and starry sky.
But if you really want to see the brightness and absolute numbers of the stars, you will have to go to space. With very little to no atmosphere in space, or for that matter light pollution, you can expect to see more stars than in almost any place on earth.
9. The Beautiful Auroras of the Earth are Actually a Space Phenomenon
If you go to the north or the South Pole, or the regions around it, you will notice something called the aurora.
Also called the ‘northern lights’ in the north and ‘southern lights’ in the south, they are one of the most colorful sights you could ever come across.
While they may seem like an earthly event, they have their actual origins in space-based events. They are caused by charged particles from the sun getting caught in the earth’s magnetic field.
The charged particles cause electrons in the atoms of the atmosphere to get energized and move to a higher energy state. After the electrons release the energy, the drop to their lower energy state, during which, they release light. It is this process that causes the aurora.
Also interesting are the names of the aurora; in the north, it is called ‘Aurora Borealis’, while in the south, it’s called ‘Aurora Australia’.
8. There is a Research Facility Known as Arecibo Observatory, Which Actively Seeks to Contact Aliens
Are you interested in alien life?
If you are interested then there is an observatory that you will find to be very fascinating. It is called the Arecibo Observatory.
It is located in a municipality called Arecibo in Puerto Rico and is one of the largest radio telescopes in the world. The first message from the observatory was sent in 1974 to contact aliens.
In very simple words, its goal is to seek out any signs of alien life in other parts of the universe.
7. Your Average Spacesuit is Really Heavy!
The average spacesuit in use today weighs approximately about 128 Kg.
In other words, it could actually be heavier than the astronaut himself, by as much as two times. The suit has around 11 layers of material to give its thickness and weight. It is made up of complex strength compound materials.
At the same time, however, it is not really much of a problem when you are in space. Given that there is almost no gravity, the weight of the space-suit is not going to mean much when you are up there.
6. Space is Absolutely Silent
You probably knew by now that space is fairly empty, to the point where it’s a near-total vacuum.
But did you know that space is actually silent as well?
As surprising as it may sound, the fact is that sound requires air to travel. And without any air, any sound waves will not have any means to travel from one place to another. Even if there is noise in other parts of the space, it wouldn’t reach you. If you are in space, then it will turn out to be an eerie experience.
What this means for space is that it is absolutely silent.
5. There Have Been More Than One Moon Landing
Most people are aware of the first Apollo moon landing, which put a man on the moon for the first time.
It was during this spacewalk that the Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong explored the moon first hand.
But this wasn’t the only moon landing that happened. On the contrary, there were multiple landings that took place.
In total, there were six moon landings, from which twelve astronauts have walked on the lunar surface.
4. Pluto is No Longer a Planet
If you think that there are nine planets, think again.
The last planet in the solar system, at least which is known to the science world is no longer a planet.
Instead, it is considered a dwarf planet. This is because of an updated definition about what a planet by the International Astronomical Union in 2006. Before, there wasn’t a strict definition for the word “planet”, but not anymore.
3. Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune Have Rings as Well
Most people know that Saturn has rings.
But not many know that other planets in the solar systems have rings as well.
These ring systems aren’t so well known because they aren’t exactly as apparent as that of Saturn. On the contrary, they aren’t really that visible to the naked eye through a telescope, as it is the case with Saturn. These ring systems are made up of dust, moonlets, and galactic particles.
But the fact is that Jupiter, Uranus,
2. The Sun Will Eventually Transform Into a Red Giant And Swallow Nearby Planets
The sun is currently powered by hydrogen. Through the process of nuclear fusion, it converts hydrogen into helium every single second and produces a vast quantity of energy. This process has been happening for a very long time and will continue for eons to come.
But there will come a time when the hydrogen will run out, and the sun will begin to fuse helium. It is at this stage that the sun is called a ‘red giant’, for it will swell into a red giant and consume many of the near plants such as mercury and Venus.
As for the
1. The Distance of the Planets Align With the Fibonacci Sequence
If you remember your school mathematics, you will know what the Fibonacci series is. If you don’t, it’s the sequence of numbers that exist if you go on adding the next number that appears in the series.
For example,
- 1+1 = 2
- 2+1 = 3
- 3+2 = 5
- 5+3 = 7
- And so on …
The same can be said of the distance between the planetary bodies. The distance from the sun and the mercury, from Mercury to Venus, from Venus to earth, from earth to mars and so on, all follow the Fibonacci sequence.
It is not just the planets, everything in the universe follow a “golden ratio”. This ratio is a derivation of the famous Fibonacci sequence. Sunflower, pineapple, snail, pine, cauliflower, plants, and everything else follow this number.
In all, space is still a vast and unknown mystery.
Due to the limitations of our current day rocket technology, as well as financial limitations, there is much to be desired when it comes to our understanding of space. With the passage of time, these constraints will hopefully be erased, and open up a frontier of knowledge and adventure we never thought could possibly exist. And indeed, that day is probably not that far off either.