Space Facts for Kids
Out-of-this-world facts about the universe
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station can vote in elections from space using a secure electronic ballot.
The Sun is actually white when seen from space. It only appears yellow from Earth because our atmosphere scatters the blue light.
Shooting stars are not actually stars. They are tiny pieces of space dust burning up as they enter Earth's atmosphere at high speed.
Sound cannot travel through space because there is no air. If you shouted in space, nobody nearby would hear you.
Jupiter's enormous gravity acts like a shield, pulling in or deflecting many asteroids and comets that might otherwise head towards Earth.
Olympus Mons on Mars is nearly three times the height of Mount Everest, making it the tallest known volcano in the entire solar system.
A teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh roughly six billion tonnes on Earth — about the same as every car on the planet combined.
The Moon experiences 'moonquakes'. Some are caused by the gravitational pull of the Earth and can last up to 10 minutes.
The nearest star to our Sun is Proxima Centauri, which is about 4.24 light-years away. Even travelling at the speed of light, it would take over four years to reach it.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot, a storm larger than Earth, has been raging for at least 350 years but has been steadily shrinking over the past century.