Cosmos, MSN New

6 Space Myths That Will Surprise You

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The truth is that the Universe works in ways that are far more complex and fascinating than most of us realize. These misunderstandings often come from how we try to simplify science for easy explanations. Here are six space “facts” that sound believable but are actually false.
The truth is that the Universe works in ways that are far more complex and fascinating than most of us realize. These misunderstandings often come from how we try to simplify science for easy explanations. Here are six space “facts” that sound believable but are actually false.
It may look like a giant flaming ball in the sky, but the Sun is not burning like wood in a campfire. Instead, it is a gigantic nuclear reactor where hydrogen atoms fuse into helium, releasing huge amounts of energy. This energy travels through space until it reaches Earth as sunlight and heat.
It may look like a giant flaming ball in the sky, but the Sun is not burning like wood in a campfire. Instead, it is a gigantic nuclear reactor where hydrogen atoms fuse into helium, releasing huge amounts of energy. This energy travels through space until it reaches Earth as sunlight and heat.
When you spot a meteor flashing across the night sky, it seems like it is on fire, but that is not the case. As the meteor hurtles through Earth’s atmosphere at incredible speed, the air in front of it is compressed so violently that it heats up and glows. This creates the bright streak of light we call a shooting star.
When you spot a meteor flashing across the night sky, it seems like it is on fire, but that is not the case. As the meteor hurtles through Earth’s atmosphere at incredible speed, the air in front of it is compressed so violently that it heats up and glows. This creates the bright streak of light we call a shooting star.
Movies make it seem like detonating a nuclear weapon on an incoming asteroid would completely eliminate the danger, but reality is more complicated. A nuclear blast could break an asteroid into many smaller fragments, but these pieces could still be large enough to cause massive destruction.
Movies make it seem like detonating a nuclear weapon on an incoming asteroid would completely eliminate the danger, but reality is more complicated. A nuclear blast could break an asteroid into many smaller fragments, but these pieces could still be large enough to cause massive destruction.
The phrase “zero gravity” is misleading because there is always some gravitational force acting on objects in space. Astronauts on the International Space Station are not truly weightless; they are in a constant state of free fall around Earth. This means they are always falling toward the planet but moving forward fast enough to keep missing it.
The phrase “zero gravity” is misleading because there is always some gravitational force acting on objects in space. Astronauts on the International Space Station are not truly weightless; they are in a constant state of free fall around Earth. This means they are always falling toward the planet but moving forward fast enough to keep missing it.
The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, which means we always see the same side from our planet’s surface. However, this does not mean one side is permanently dark. Every part of the Moon experiences sunlight during its orbit around Earth, just not all at the same time. The so-called “dark side” simply refers to the hemisphere we cannot see from here. In reality, both sides go through day and night just like Earth, although the cycles last much longer.
The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, which means we always see the same side from our planet’s surface. However, this does not mean one side is permanently dark. Every part of the Moon experiences sunlight during its orbit around Earth, just not all at the same time. The so-called “dark side” simply refers to the hemisphere we cannot see from here. In reality, both sides go through day and night just like Earth, although the cycles last much longer.
From far away, Earth looks like a perfectly round ball, but in truth it is slightly flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator. This shape is called an oblate spheroid, and it is caused by the planet’s rotation. The spinning motion makes the middle stretch outward, giving Earth a wider diameter at the equator than at the poles.
From far away, Earth looks like a perfectly round ball, but in truth it is slightly flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator. This shape is called an oblate spheroid, and it is caused by the planet’s rotation. The spinning motion makes the middle stretch outward, giving Earth a wider diameter at the equator than at the poles.
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