5 Things About Space That Will Blow Your Mind
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

5 Things About Space That Will Blow Your Mind

That cover picture there? That will be your mind.

16
5 Things About Space That Will Blow Your Mind
NASA.gov

Not sure if you knew this, but outer space is pretty amazing. Sure it's got stars and planets and what not, but that's only the tip of the galaxy. There's so much more that we don't even consider. The old phrase "truth is stranger than fiction" rings true when it comes to not only the world we live in, but the galaxy our world exists in. And I promise you, I really didn't make this stuff up.

Let's start on the creepy side.

1. Lack of gravity

It's not secret that space has no gravitational pull, unlike our lovely planet Earth. While its probably cool to be able to float around, astronauts suffer from a number of things due to the lack of gravity. As said in this Air & Space article, "On Earth, gravity pulls fluids to a person’s lower body. In space, fluids float upward with a number of unpleasant effects. Anyone who has seen astronauts on TV notices their swollen faces. Fluid migration is also a likely cause of headaches. Eyesight is so often impaired that the station stocks a supply of drugstore glasses with different magnifications." Eye sight. Space messes with out eye sight. Interesting.

Now, we get to the cool stuff.

2. Hubble Telescope is the real MVP

The first, is that pictures like this one below, are actually real.

According to the description on the NASA website, the blue cloud is expanding at a rate somewhere around 220,000 kilometers per hour. That's around 136,700 miles per hour, which is over 2,000 miles. That thing, has expanded at least another 2,000 miles since you've been reading this.

3. Stars

Another thing is the size of all the different stars out there.

This alone is enough to make you feel extremely vulnerable and insignificant. And this video only briefly talks about galaxies.

4. Galaxies

So let's talk about galaxies.

And the fact that, as written on the NASA website what we see in this picture "...is the product of a collision between two good-sized galaxies..." Two galaxies. Combining. To make a bigger galaxy.

And just because this crazy universe we live couldn't get any crazier, I give you this:

The creepy cat from Alice in Wonderland. Or a smiley face. Whichever one you see first. This is a picture of a galaxy cluster, and "[g]alaxy clusters are the most massive structures in the Universe and exert such a powerful gravitational pull that they warp the spacetime around them and act as cosmic lenses which can magnify, distort and bend the light behind them."

But you know what's more awesome than that? The fact that this is a real picture.

5) The Statistics

We all know that there are a countless amount of stars in the sky. It's been estimated that there's around 10 trillion galaxies, with around 100 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy alone. Granted, some galaxies might have more stars or less, but that still equals an amount of stars somewhere in the trillions. Quiet possibly past it.

Now that we've established that, let's talk about planets. Planets that can support life. Earth can support life because of mainly two reasons. One: it's found in the "habitable zone" of our star (far enough away to have water) and two: large enough to have remained geologically active (all planets cool off as the core slowly solidifies. Ours has not. Yet. And it probably won't for a very long while). It is speculated that almost every star has at least one planet orbiting it. So, statistically, there has to be a planet large enough, made up of the right elements to support life that's also in the habitable zone. Creepy aliens aside, it's cool to think about. That statistically, we are probably not the only form of life out there. It's extremely unlikely we will ever know for sure, but still cool to consider.

I will leave you with this image because it looks amazing.

And this video that will make you feel insignificant.

Just because, even if you do feel really insignificant, it cannot be denied that space is awesome.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
beer on the beach

Summer is hot and humid, and it's almost like summer was made specifically to drink the refreshing, cold, crisp wonderful, delicious, nutritious nectar of the gods. Which is none other than beer; wonderful cold beer. With summer playing peek-a-boo around the corner while we finish up this semester, it's time to discuss the only important part of summer. And if you haven't already guessed, it's beer. There are few things I take more seriously than my beer, in order are: sports... and beer. Here are my favorite summer brews:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

7 Reasons SoCal Rocks!

75 degrees and sunny, plus, no humidity. I mean do I really need to say more?

1107
woman in black and white long sleeve shirt carrying girl in red jacket in Venice beach
Photo by Jeff Hopper on Unsplash

SoCal summers are the best summers by far, and honestly, no argument is needed. But, if you aren't sure why SoCal summers are the best, here are 7 reasons why!

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

25 Lyrics for Selfie Captions

Because let's be honest, we all use lyrics.

53567
woman takes a selfie for social media
Pixabay

Sometimes you can't think of the perfect caption for your Instagram post. I love using lyrics as my captions because there's so many great lines in songs that just seem to fit in the moment. Here are some lyrics that could work for your selfie or pictures of you with your friends!

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Bruce Springsteen's Top 7 Lyrics

Everything Bruce says in his classic rock songs.

20033
bruce springsteen album cover born in the usa

Anyone who was born and raised in New Jersey (or anywhere really) knows of Bruce Springsteen, whether or not they like him is a whole other situation. I hope that his hundreds of classic rock songs and famous high energy performances, even in his sixties he can put on better concerts than people half his age, are at least recognizable to people of all ages. Love him or hate him (I identify with the former) you have to admit that some of his songs and interviews have inspirational quotes and lyrics.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

New England Summers Are The BEST Summers

Why you should spend your next summer in New England.

3796
Marconi Beach

Three years ago, I chose to attend college in Philadelphia, approximately 360 miles away from my small town in New Hampshire. I have learned many valuable lessons away from home, and have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in Pennsylvania. One thing that my experience has taught me, however, is that it is absolutely impossible to beat a New England summer.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments