That is absolutely true! If you spent a few months on the International Space Station (ISS), you would likely return to Earth about 2 inches (5 cm) taller than when you left. While gaining a couple of inches of height sounds like a “space superpower,” the reason behind it is actually quite simple—and it’s more…
While it looks like a perfect silver coin in the night sky, the Moon is technically an oblate spheroid—a sphere that is slightly flattened at the poles and bulged at the center. However, planetary scientists often go a step further and describe it as lemon-shaped because it has two distinct bulges: one on the side…
It may like a plot from a sci-fi movie, but the Moon is indeed drifting away from Earth. This phenomenon is known as Lunar Recession, and it has been occurring since the Moon first formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Here is the full breakdown of how it works, how we know, and what the…
Standing on the surface of Mars at dusk offers a surreal reversal of the Earthly experience. While we are used to a blue sky during the day that bleeds into a fiery red and orange sunset, Mars does the exact opposite. On the Red Planet, the daytime sky is a murky butterscotch color, but as…
In space, the biological process of crying remains the same, but the physical behavior of the liquid changes dramatically. On Earth, gravity pulls tears down your cheeks; in the microgravity of the International Space Station (ISS), physics takes over in a much messier way. Here is the full breakdown of what happens when you cry…
Time Dilation: Why Time Moves Slower in Space The idea that “Time Moves Slower in Space” is not science fiction; it is a validated consequence of Albert Einstein’s theories of Relativity. This phenomenon is called Time Dilation, and it means that time is not absolute—it passes differently for observers depending on their relative speed and…
The $12 Million Wardrobe: Why Spacesuits Cost a Fortune! When you see an astronaut floating outside the International Space Station, they aren’t wearing a jumpsuit—they are piloting a highly personalized, miniature spacecraft. The original NASA Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) suits were valued at over $12 million each in the 1970s, a cost that balloons into…
Callisto, the outermost of Jupiter’s four large Galilean satellites, stands as a unique and scientifically pivotal object in the solar system. Often described as the “dead” or “unremarkable” Galilean moon, its relative lack of geological activity is precisely what makes it a crucial relic. It is a world that has largely preserved the record of…
Ganymede is one of the most fascinating worlds in our Solar System. As the largest moon of Jupiter, it holds several unique distinctions that set it apart from all other satellites. Discovery & Naming: Key Distinctions Internal Structure and Composition Ganymede is a fully differentiated body, meaning its interior is separated into distinct layers. Core:…
The asteroid belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, is often imagined as a dense and dangerous region filled with countless rocks constantly colliding. However, reality is far quieter and more spacious. Even though the asteroid belt contains millions of objects—ranging from tiny dust particles to large bodies like Ceres—the vast majority of…
