8 Little Known Facts About Outer Space

Outer space has long been one of the most mysterious concepts that we know of. While it’s easy to stand outside and gaze into the sky, it’s difficult for us to understand that the sky that we see makes up only a fraction of the universe.

When you take the time to think about how small you are in comparison to the vastness that surrounds you, you can begin to truly appreciate how huge the universe that you’re a part of is.

Most people learn the basics about outer space during the early years of their educational careers.

Some who pursue advanced degrees in astrophysics, astronomy, and other space-based fields spend years studying the Milky Way galaxy, the sun, moon, and stars. Even then, they don’t know everything that goes on around us.

Whether you’re an amateur astronomy enthusiast who enjoys peering through your telescope into the night sky or you’re pursuing a degree or a career in a field that involves outer space, these little-known facts about outer space can give you a better understanding of what’s going on beyond the small portion of the galaxy that you can see when you look into the sky.

Outer Space Is Larger Than You Can Imagine

As humans, we define everything by measurements that we have grown accustomed to. For instance, we know that Earth has an equatorial diameter of 7,926 miles.

However, outer space is not measured the same way. Instead, most things in outer space are measured in light years, or the number of years it would take light to travel from one point to another.

For instance, the universe is around 28 billion light years in diameter, but there’s no way to know exactly how big it is since we cannot see the outer edge of it. If you shined a light from one edge of the universe, it would take 28 billion years to reach the other edge.

In 1977, NASA launched its Voyager 1 spacecraft. It eventually became the first man-made object to cross into the heliosphere, the boundary where the sun’s magnetic field dissipates.

The fact that it took more than three decades for Voyager 1 to reach that point speaks to the enormity of space.

However, NASA said it would take somewhere between 14,000 and 28,000 years for Voyager to get out of our solar system.

The Misunderstood Moon

Some of the most interesting facts about space involve some misconceptions we have about the Moon. For instance, when you look into the sky at night, you see a circular shape.

Even when the Moon isn’t in its full stage, the moon appears round. It’s actually shaped more like a lemon than a circle. The Moon not only has flattened poles but also has bulges on the near and far side of its equator.

Scientists believe that the moon picked up this odd shape shortly after its formation due to interactions it had with the Earth.

Also, it’s hard for the naked eye to see the size discrepancy that exists between the Sun and the Moon. To the casual observer, the Sun and Moon appear to be the same size, or at least close to it. In fact, the Sun is 400 times larger than the Moon.

However, the Sun is 400 times further from the Earth than the Moon is, which makes them look like they’re the same size. It’s remarkable that the Moon, which has a direct impact on the ocean and other aspects of life on Earth is so much smaller than the Sun.

The Gas in the Milky Way Could Get You Drunk

In 2009, a group of astronomers studied a giant cloud made of dust and gas at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

One of the first things the scientists noticed was that the cloud smelled like an odd combination of raspberries and rum. This is because ethyl formate, the most prominent gas in this cloud, is responsible for giving raspberries their rich flavor. This gas also smells like rum.

The scientists made another interesting discovery when studying another region that was near the cloud. The second region was full of ethyl alcohol, which is what manufacturers use to make alcoholic beverages.

In fact, this region has so much ethyl alcohol in it that it could supply every human on the planet with 300,000 pints of beer each day for the next 1 billion years.

The Mysteries of Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, which is something you probably learned during your childhood. What you may not have learned is that one day on Mercury is equal to 59 days on Earth. Additionally, a year on Earth is equal to 88 years on Mercury.

The temperature on Mercury is also quite unique. During the night, temperatures reach -280 degrees Fahrenheit. Conversely, days on Mercury often reach temperatures in excess of 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mars: The Red Planet

From the time you were young, you probably saw pictures of Mars which made it evident why it’s called the “Red Planet.”

But do you know why Mars is red?

The surface of Mars is covered in iron oxide. On Earth, iron oxide is more commonly known as rust. The same substance that covers a piece of metal that you leave out in the weather covers the entire surface of Mars.

The Uniqueness of Uranus

When you see drawings and models of the solar system, Uranus is usually represented by a blue ball that lacks any distinctive features.

However, this planet, which is the second farthest from the sun, is actually one of the most interesting, unique planets in our solar system.

According to NASA, Uranus spins on its side, so during its orbit around the Sun, it looks like a ball that’s rolling on its side. Most scientists agree that Uranus developed this unusual orbit after suffering some sort of collision in its ancient past.

The Moon of Jupiter

Jupiter’s moon, Io, is significantly different than Earth’s moon. Io is considered the most active moon in our solar system, largely because there are hundreds of volcanoes on its surface that are almost always erupting.

Clouds of sulfur often reach up to 190 miles into Io’s atmosphere. Because of how Io orbits Jupiter, it constantly tenses up and relaxes. These changes provide enough energy for the volcanoes to erupt.

Slow and Steady

For years, Neptune was the second furthest planet from the Sun. However, after Pluto lost its classification as a planet, Neptune became the furthest planetary point in our solar system.

Because of its distance and other factors, it takes Neptune 165 years to make one complete lap around the Sun.

Since Neptune was discovered in 1865, it didn’t complete its first official orbit as a planet until 2011, which means Neptune, as a planet, has only made one complete orbit.

As long as there are people studying space, there will be new discoveries of the vast expanse that we make up such a small part of.

These interesting facts give us a glimmer of insight into the solar system and space as a whole.

What will scientists uncover next? Only time will tell.