10 fun facts about space 🚀

Geo the owl and his best friend Atlas have been off on their travels again, this time to find out about our amazing solar system. They wanted to share the top facts they found whilst floating around with zero gravity.

If you’ve ever wondered about space, from how long it will take to fly to Venus to how many stars there are in the universe then do not fear; Geo and Atlas have you covered ensuring you and your little ones will soon be a space expert. Impress your friends and teachers with your new knowledge and they might even believe you’re an astronaut…

2) There is no noise

If you were to visit space, it would be completely silent (a rarity to you parents, we know). This is because there is no atmosphere; therefore sound cannot travel in the air. Astronauts have radios to communicate with one another in their suits because radio waves can still be sent and received.

2) There are too many stars to count

You may have looked up at the sky on a clear night and seen all the beautiful stars shining down on you, heck you may have even tried counting them. If you’ve been unsuccessful, you’ll have probably wondered how many stars there…well you may be wondering for a while because scientists and astronomers have stated that it is impossible to calculate the exact number because space is so big. But if you want a number to state when giving out these facts to your friends, it is estimated to be between 200 and 400 billion!

3) Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon

Ok so not necessarily a hidden secret, but, in 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin completed their mission to the moon and safely made is back to earth in just over eight days. Well, 195 hours, 10 minutes and 35 seconds to be precise! The mission was called Apollo 11 in which they successfully landed their lunar module Eagle on the moon.

4) The sun is far away

On a sunny day, it looks and feels like the sun is so close but in fact it is actually 149 million kilometres away.

5) The closest planet is not the hottest

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and because of this; many people believe that it is also the hottest planet. However the hottest planet in our solar system is in fact Venus, with a surface temperature of 450 degrees Celsius – wow, you’d need some pretty good sunscreen here!

6) Footprints will never disappear

With no atmosphere in space, this also means there is no wind. Because of this, the footprints and tire tracks left on the moon by astronauts will be there forever as there is no wind to blow them away...so if you want to make your mark forever, head to space! 

7) Volcano on Mars

Olympus Mons is the name of the volcano on Mars. This volcano could potentially still be active and is an impressive three times the size of Mount Everest, which is the tallest mountain in the world.

8) The Solar System is old

That’s right; the solar system is pretty old. It is a staggering 4.6 billion years old and is estimated to last for another 5000 million years.

9) An Asteroid caused the extinction of the dinosaurs

Many scientists claim that it was an asteroid impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, around 65 million years ago.

10) Hailey’s Comet is coming back

Hailey’s Comet is a short period comet that is visible from earth every 74 to 79 years. It was last seen in 1986 and is estimated to be visible again in 2061, so save the date and be ready to see Hailey’s Comet – you’ve only got 43 years to wait…

Have some exciting facts to share with Geo and Atlas? Tell us all you know about Outer Space…

GJ x