Chapter 1: Cosmic Curiosities

Have you ever gazed at the night sky and thought, "What on Earth is going on up there?" You're not alone! My passion for space, NASA, and understanding our universe is immense. The enigmas of the cosmos captivate me the most. I’ve labeled this as Part 1 because, knowing my enthusiasm, there will certainly be more installments—many more, in fact. So, let’s embark on this cosmic journey together!

1. Vintage Spacesuits

Today's astronauts wear spacesuits that were originally designed in 1974. While they cost $12 million each back then, that figure has ballooned to roughly $150 million each today.

2. Super Earths: Not Just a Fantasy

Super Earths are planets that exceed Earth in size but are smaller than Neptune, with sizes potentially reaching ten times that of our planet. Interestingly, our solar system lacks any Super Earths, even though they are prevalent in other systems. A notable example is 55 Cancri E, also known as Planet Janssen, which is a mere 41 light-years away from us. Discover more about this intriguing planet here.

3. The Chill of Enceladus

Saturn's moon, Enceladus, is an icy world that reflects 90% of sunlight, with frigid temperatures dipping to -201 degrees Celsius (or -394 degrees Fahrenheit). Just kidding! Please don’t come after me, Celsius enthusiasts!

4. A Walk on Pluto

Did you know that Pluto’s surface area is smaller than that of the United States? Walking around Pluto would be as simple as strolling from London to Denver!

5. Uranus' Long Seasons

One season on Uranus lasts about 21 Earth years. Feel free to insert your Uranus jokes here; I assure you, I’m not above a little humor.

6. The Vastness of Stars

From our vantage point, we can see approximately 70 sextillion stars in the night sky. To visualize, that's written as 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000—quite reminiscent of my student loan totals!

7. The Mystery of the Dark

With so many stars, why isn't the night sky completely illuminated? The answer lies in the ongoing expansion of our Universe due to the Big Bang, which means many stars haven’t been around long enough for their light to reach us.

8. Dark Matter and Energy

Less than 5% of the Universe comprises visible light and atoms; the remainder consists of dark matter and dark energy. Dark matter contributes significantly to the mass of galaxies, while dark energy is the mysterious force behind the Universe's accelerated expansion.

9. The Boozy Milky Way

Researchers discovered that a gas cloud at the center of our Milky Way contains ethyl formate, a chemical that gives raspberries their flavor and has the scent of rum. Another nearby cloud consists of ethanol, the same type used to make alcohol here on Earth. "There’s enough alcohol to provide each person on the planet with 300,000 pints of beer daily for a billion years!"

10. The Weight of Neutrons

A neutron star is so dense that just a teaspoon of its material weighs more than the entire human population combined. Crazy, right?

I’d love to hear your favorite space fact in the comments! Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this piece, check out more articles in my "The More You F*cking Know" series:

The More You F*cking Know

Random facts for life's awkward moments.

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