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This is
for astronomy buffs!
Have you
wondered what astronauts see when they float in zero-gravity in their
capsule-shaped space shuttle? Or what do scientists know about the heavenly
bodies?
Get a
load of amazing astronomy-related facts and read on.
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There’s a star called Epsilon
Aurigae. It turns dark every 27 years because there’s a mysterious dark
astronomical object which eclipses it. And that “eclipsing” happens every 27
years.
§
The Great Red Spot,
the popular “blemish” on Jupiter’s vast surface, is actually a storm. That
storm has been broiling on Jupiter’s surface for more than 300 years! That
storm is so big that you can fit dozens of Earth-sized planets in it.
§
On Mercury, the planet
in our solar system that’s closest to the sun, daytime is crazy and weird.
During the day, the sun will rise, stop, then “turns” backwards – thus setting
exactly where it first rose. Another fact about Mercury is that it has no
atmosphere, so it cannot absorb heat from the sun. The side of Mercury that’s
away from the sun is icy even if the other side facing the sun is fiery hot.
§
In our solar system,
there are only two planets that rotate clockwise on their axes. They are Venus
and Uranus. The rest, including the earth, rotate counterclockwise.
§
Another exciting fact
about Uranus is that its poles get 42 years of nonstop sunlight then another 42
years of nonstop darkness.
§
The beautifully ringed
giant planet Saturn – it floats on water! That’s because its density (mass per
unit volume) is lower than that of water.
§
A neutron star, a type
of star, has such an impressive density. If you scoop even a teaspoonful of the
matter that makes it up, that “teaspoonful of a neutron star” will be heavier
than all the people on Earth put together.
§
Recently, a star has
been discovered somewhere in a constellation called Centaurus. The star has
been nicknamed, “Lucy.” That star is a giant diamond!
§
Each time you look up
to the skies, you actually travel in time. The light from distant galaxies and
stars has taken a loooong time to get to us, like thousands or millions of
years ago. That means, that “twinkling” that you see, that has happened even
before the dinosaurs existed. And you only see the light now.
For more
easy and fun science facts, projects, and activities that are perfect for your
grade-schooler, be sure to check out “The Amazing Science Discovery Series” at http://www.amazingsciencediscovery.com
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