The immense space, with each step of unfolding, made us believe the unbelievable.
Over the years, facts about space are unwinding bit by bit. Yet, there’s much more to be discovered beyond the human imagination and sight. When the word ‘space’ comes into mind, mystery, magic, and adventure unknowingly follow.
Let’s learn about some of the most interesting science facts ever known about space, and important facts every kid should know that will leave them astonished and wondering.
The Milky Way Movement!
The composition of the universe is surreal. In the whole universe, The Milky Way is the galaxy in which we reside among 125 billion other galaxies. The Milky Way doesn’t sit still. As Earth revolves around the Sun and Moon rotates around the Earth, the Milky Way is on the move too! Along with its local galaxies, the Milky Way is also moving through space.
Black Holes Consume Light!
A black hole is a region in space where if something enters, there is no escape. This is because the gravitational pull of the black hole is so strong that no light rays or electromagnetic radiations can pass through it. A black hole also acts as an ideal body as it reflects no light. It takes up all the light that strikes it and other particles that enter a black hole. After a black hole is formed, it grows by taking up mass from its surroundings. After merging with other black holes, supermassive black holes are formed. Supermassive black holes are most likely to reside in the centres of most of the galaxies.
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How are Earth, Mars, Venus, etc., considered Planets?
Have you ever wondered why only eight or nine bodies are considered planets among millions of asteroids, comets, and meteoroids?
Well, according to International Astronomical Union (IAU), to exist or continue as a full-sized functioning planet, the below criteria must be fulfilled:-
- It orbits around the sun.
- It is nearly round.
- It has ‘cleared the neighbourhood’ around its orbit.
Well, the first must be easy to understand! Coming to the third point, ‘cleared the neighbourhood’ means the planet has become gravitationally dominant, i.e., there are no other objects of comparable size other than its own satellites under its gravitational influence, in its proximity, in space.
The Total Number of Planets is Eight, not Nine!
As we just studied the criteria to be a full-sized planet, let us now see a real example of the planet rule, which happened just a few years ago.
Just around 15 years ago, the number of planets revolving around the sun was nine: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Like every other planet, Pluto to date orbits around the Sun and has sufficient mass to acquire an almost round shape. However, in August 2006, Pluto was declared as a dwarf planet as it failed to reach the full-sized planet criteria laid down by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Hence, Pluto is not considered a planet in our Solar System anymore.
Venus Spins Backward!
Earth’s neighbouring planet, Venus, is considered odd from the other planets because of its distinct behaviour. On Venus, unlike other planets, the Sun rises in the west. The days are also quite long in Venus due to its close distance to the Sun.
Recent theories state that Venus has spun in the same direction as most other planets in the past, and it still continues to do so. But then, why is it said to spin in the backward direction? Because, at some point, Venus flipped its axis by 180 degrees. This states that it spins in the right direction, but just upside down and looking at Venus from other planets makes the spin seem as backward. Strong atmospheric tides due to the sun’s gravitational pull may have caused the turn over in the spin.
The Possibility of Life on Mars!
Earth and Mars are even considered mirror-worlds. Because of its several similarities with Earth, it is believed that life is possible on Mars! Various missions to Mars in the last 50 years state that:
- Mars has a thick atmosphere, similar to Earth.
- Water is present on the surface of Mars.
- Rich geological diversity in the continents on Mars.
- Volcanoes, magnetic fields are present.
- A day on Mars has a similar time span to Earth.
- The planet is relatively cool, but a higher fraction of solar energy also comes in.
With the current atmosphere on Mars, humans can move there without wearing space suits!
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Only 4% of the Space has been Explored!
In the past few decades, scientists have made remarkable progress in finding out the secrets about space. Despite all the major developments, all the facts we know today are only about 4 per cent of the space, and most of the explored part includes planets, stars, and galaxies. The other mighty 96 per cent is not visible to even powerful telescopes and astronomers. This unexplored area is named the Dark Matter by scientists. The study of this area is still going on, and scientists are constantly working to explore the unexplored area of the space to find out more astonishing facts!
A Planet Made of Diamond!
We know that Earth mostly consists of land and water! What are other planets made of? Let us now find out what this particular planet, “55 Cancri e” consists of!
Back in the year 2004, a planet very similar to Earth called “55 Cancri e” was discovered in our Milky Way galaxy. This planet is also called “Super-Earth”. After studying its composition clearly, scientists concluded that this planet consists of carbon, mostly in the form of silicon and diamond. At least 75 per cent of this planet consists of a diamond! The surface of this planet is made of graphite and diamond, instead of granite and water, making Super-Earth different from our Earth.
One Million Piles of Earth Inside the Sun!
Sun has the capacity and size to shelter millions of Earth-sized objects inside it. The Sun is by far the largest object in our solar system that holds 99.8% of the solar system’s mass, with about a diameter more than 109 times that of Earth’s. Giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn take up about 0.14% of the remaining mass left in our solar system. After the astounding figures, you just read, gear up for another surprise! Sun, among all other stars in the universe, is considered an average-sized star! A Star-like Betelgeuse has hundreds of millions of times more volume than that of the Sun!
Sun also lies at the heart of the solar system.
Blue Sunset on Mars!
Despite their resemblance, two major differences between Earth and Mars are that Earth’s sky is blue, and the sunset here is red. But Mars has a red sky, and the sunsets there are blue. This is because light from the Sun scatters depending on what’s in the atmosphere. Sunlight has light of many wavelengths, but the dust particles only interact with specific waves, hence this phenomenon is experienced.
Mars’s atmosphere is very insubstantial, i.e., its pressure is equivalent to about 1 per cent of Earth’s. It is made of a lot of dust. This fine dust scatters red light so that the sky looks reddish, and this lets the blue light through.
Wrapping Up
So, there you have it. We hope these fun facts about space have enlightened your children. The Real School Of Montessori intends to bring more such fun information to your kids through a more interactive approach in teaching. To cater to the inquisitive minds of today, do check out the site for various programs in coding, mobile app development, social communication and much more!
These interesting science facts will leave your kid spellbound and will add to their knowledge. But apart from the fun facts about space for children, you will need more than this for their overall development and significant growth. To ensure all-around exposure for your kid, consider joining the one-on-one personalised online mentoring at The Real School Of Montessori. Make sure to sign up for the free trial class, and make the next best decision for your kids!
