Fun facts about Space
The Fate of a Dying Star
When a massive star reaches the end of its life, it can collapse under its own gravity, forming either a neutron star, an incredibly dense core, or a black hole, an object so powerful that not even light can escape.
There’s a Gigantic void in Space
The Bootes Void is a massive empty region in space spanning 330 million light-years across, containing almost no galaxies, making it one of the largest known voids in the universe.
There May Be More Planets Than Stars
Astronomers estimate that nearly every star in the Milky Way has at least one planet, meaning there could be trillions of planets in our galaxy alone.
Some Black Holes Are Wandering Through Space
While most black holes stay in one place, some, known as rogue black holes, can move through space at speeds of millions of miles per hour after being ejected from their galaxy.
Galaxies Can Collide Without Planets or Stars Crashing
When two galaxies merge, like the upcoming collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda, the vast distances between stars mean that actual planetary or stellar collisions are incredibly rare.
A Day on a Pulsar Can Last Just a Few Milliseconds
Pulsars, which are rapidly spinning neutron stars, can complete a full rotation in just a few milliseconds, meaning a day on one of these bizarre objects is shorter than a blink of an eye.
There’s a Planet Where It Rains Molten Glass
HD 189733 b, a hot Jupiter exoplanet, experiences terrifying weather, with winds reaching 5,400 mph and sideways rain made of molten glass due to its extreme atmosphere.
Dark Matter and Dark Energy Make Up Most of the Universe
While stars, planets, and everything we see make up just 5% of the universe, the rest consists of dark matter (27%) and dark energy (68%), mysterious forces we barely understand.
You Wouldn’t Be Able to Walk on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune
The gas giants in our solar system have no solid surface, meaning you would sink endlessly into their thick atmospheres of hydrogen and helium.
The Hottest Planet in the Solar System Isn’t the Closest to the Sun
While Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun, Venus holds the title of the hottest, with surface temperatures over 900°F (475°C) due to its thick, heat-trapping atmosphere.
