pale blue dot
We see images and videos from the International Space Station (ISS) where astronauts float in space freely. That’s because they’re in space, so there is no gravitational force of Earth there, right? Wrong. The International Space Station is in Low Earth Orbit (see notes 1) with an altitude of between 330 and 435 km (205 …
Continue reading “Why do astronauts float in space? [Microgravity explained]”
What if we could make a spaceship that is capable of leaving the solar system at the speed of light? How much time would it take to enter interstellar space? Our Solar system is big, and vast, despite it being really small compared to our galaxy, not to mention the complete universe. To put this …
Continue reading “Leaving the Solar System at the Speed of Light [Video]”
A beautiful video, once again, from Michael Stevens, titled “How Earth Moves”. Michael explains many concepts, including “sub-solar point”, “sidereal day vs solar day”, or “how Earth moves in space” etc, and he is doing it in a very simplified manner. Enjoy!
A recent study led by Peter Behroozi of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland suggests that the vast majority of Earth-like planets in the universe have yet to be born. Using computer simulations to model planet formation around stars in the Milky Way galaxy, Behroozi and his team found that only 8% …
Continue reading “New Study Suggests 92% of Earth-Like Planets Have Yet to Be Born”
“Your life on Earth” is a nice interactive webpage presented by the BBC – The British Broadcasting Corporation: how you and the world have changed since you were born? You’re simply entering your birth date, gender, and height; selecting units (metric or imperial/US), and then watching how our planet (and you) has changed in your …
It’s a well-known fact that a feather will fall slower than a bowling ball due to air resistance. However, what happens if you remove the air and drop both objects in a vacuum? Surprisingly, they will fall at the exact same speed. This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s actually a result of a fundamental principle …
Continue reading “Bowling ball and feather fall in a vacuum at the exact same speed [Here’s why]”
