Important Facts about Space

The eternal marker of the Karman Alignment marks the beginning of space, and this invisible line is 100 kilometres above the Earth. Practically, you might be in space in less than an hour if you can drive your car upwards. 

The planet with the highest temperature is not the one closest to the sun, and the second planet, i.e. Venus is the hottest planet. We still don’t know much about the universe, solar system, and the cosmos. The universe is enormous. With countless stars, galaxies, and elements in our solar system, most parts are yet to be fully discovered or understood. Scientists are constantly exploring and understanding space. Technological advancements enable humanity to explore like never before and get to know some space facts and planets’ information. For instance, it would take nine years to walk on the moon.

What Are Celestial Bodies?

Any natural object outside the Earth’s atmosphere is referred to as a celestial body. The satellites, the sun, the moon, and other planets in our solar system are simply a few examples. Many celestial bodies can be found in the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt. The celestial bodies are so far from Earth that the distance will be measured in light-years.

Classification of Celestial Bodies in Space

• Planets

They are enormous spherical structures that orbit the sun. Planets revolve around the sun in orbits. According to NASA, there are eight planets in our solar system. Minerals, elements, and molecules such as hydrogen, nitrogen, and methane make up planets. Our planet, likewise, is a celestial body, and it is the only known place in our universe.

• Satellites

Satellites are natural or artificial bodies that revolve around the planet, and these are necessary parts among several celestial bodies and can either be natural or manufactured. The moon is the natural celestial satellite of earth. 

• Stars

Stars are enormous balls of heated gas capable of producing their light. In their centre, they have energy by turning hydrogen gas into helium. They are essentially massive objects with a tremendous magnetic pull. The sun is a standard sized star that gives us the power we need to live on Earth.

• Galaxies

Galaxies are vast clusters of stars kept together by gravity. The sun and solar system are components of the Milky Way galaxy, and other galaxies are so far away that they only appear in the night sky as stars.

• Asteroids

Asteroids are celestial objects in the universe: narrow, irregularly shaped metal or mineral pebbles that orbit the sun. The majority of them are found between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt area.

• Meteorites and Meteors

As a reaction to our planet’s gravitational attraction, things from space enter our atmosphere. Meteors are typically small and easily catch fire as they quickly enter the Earth’s atmosphere. It makes lines in the sky look like a star has exploded. They are also known as shooting stars. A large enough meteor can strike the Earth’s crust and create a crater. These are known as meteorites.

• Comets

According to NASA, they are microscopic ice and rock fragments from the solar system’s outskirts. The ice on them vaporises close to the sun, resulting in the spectacular tail behind them.

Fascinating Space Facts NASA Investigated

• NASA launched the Landsat satellites in 1972 to photograph the whole Earth’s surface from space. The foundation for NASA was laid on July 29, 1958, and began operations on October 1, 1958.
• The spacecraft has the same internal pressurised volume as a Boeing 747. On the ground, more than 3 million bits of executable code handle more than 2 million lines of flight programming code.
• In our galaxy, there are many more planets than stars. At this time the number of planets orbiting the sun is eight.
• Some space facts NASA investigated were that Earth, Venus, Mercury, and Mars are rocky inner planets. On February 18, 2021, Perseverance, NASA’s latest rover, landed on Mars. While Jupiter and Saturn are regarded as gas giants, Uranus and Neptune are ice giants.
• After Neptune, a newer class of dwarf planets exist, including long-time favourite Pluto. Several other planets have been discovered outside of our solar system recently. Exoplanets are what scientists name them (Exo means “from outside”).

Conclusion

Space is an entirely natural phenomenon that cannot be created or destroyed by humans. However, many new planets are founded by great scientists who are also humans. The seen universe has a diameter of 25 billion light-years and an unknown number of galaxies. Like the oxygen we breathe, space is everywhere and all around us. Most people refer to space as the universe and make no distinction between the two. When the universe was initially discussed as an organised unit, it was referred to as the cosmos to distinguish it from chaos or disorder.