Are we alone in the Universe? What exactly is dark matter? How did our solar system form initially? Endless unanswered questions about space; it is practically a wonderland of mystery.
Even the facts that we do know about space, and the questions that scientists have managed to answer, many of them are mind-blowing. We have compiled a list of the top ten astonishing space facts.
1. Solar Diet
The Sun loses up to one billion kilograms per second due to solar winds. Solar winds are charged particles that are ejected from the upper surface of the Sun due to the high temperature of the corona and the high kinetic energy particles gain through a process that is not well understood at this time.
2. Cold Welding
If two pieces of the same type of metal touch in space, they will bond and be permanently stuck together; this amazing effect is known as cold welding. It happens because the atoms of the individual pieces of metal have no way of knowing that they are different pieces of metal, so the lumps join together. This would not happen on Earth because there is air and water separating the pieces. The effect has a lot of implications for spacecraft construction and the future of metal-based construction in vacuums.
3. Extreme Weather
At times on Earth, weather can be extreme; compared to some other planets though, we are very lucky with our weather. Jupiter has fast winds and the Great Red Spot; a massive hurricane-style storm that has raged there for the last 300 years. Mercury and Mars have extreme temperature changes in the same day; Venus is a scorching five times hotter than boiling water. Saturn and Uranus also have extremely fast winds, while Neptune has the fastest ever wind speeds, reaching a staggering 1600 mph.
4. Neighboring Space
Space officially begins at the universal marker of the Karman Line. This invisible boundary is 100 km above the Earth. In theory, if you could drive your car upwards, you could be in space in less than one hour.
5. Moon Illusion
The Moon appears larger than it actually is; the apparent magnification is not caused by our atmosphere, but is more of a mind trick. When the Moon is closer to the horizon, it is closer to objects as buildings and trees; in comparison, the Moon looks bigger. However, there are times when the Moon really is bigger; during its elliptical orbit, the Moon has times when it is actually slightly closer to Earth (Perigee) or further from Earth (Apogee). This happens about once a month, due the Moon’s orbit around Earth. Usually, it is not noticeable to the eye; however, when a Full Moon occurs at the same time of the Moon’s perigee, it can be called a Super Moon and appears 12–14% bigger than normal!
References
listverse.com
mashable.com
buzzfeed.com
thefactsite.com