20 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE UNIVERSE
All About Space UK|Issue 133
From the size of hypergiant stars to the weird effects of space travel on the human body, prepare to have your mind blown by the awesome cosmos we live in
Luis Villazon 
20 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE UNIVERSE

1 YOU CAN'T BURP IN SPACE

Without gravity, the air you swallow with your food doesn't separate out from the solids and liquids - it just floats in a jumbled clump in your stomach. The valve at the top of the stomach normally reacts to pressure from gas and opens to release a burp. In space, what you get instead is a wet burp'. This feels like something between acid reflux and being a little bit sick. As if to compensate for this, the general relaxation of sphincter muscles means that astronauts fart a lot more.

2 WE SENT AN INVITATION TO ALIENS

The Voyager probes were launched in 1977 to study Jupiter and Saturn, but their trajectory allowed them to continue past this point and head for the outer Solar System and beyond. On the off chance that either of them encounters an alien civilisation, the two probes each carry a message from Earth. The Pioneer 10 and 11 probes launched in 1972 and 1973 respectively carried a simple gold-plated plaque with some diagrams, but the Voyagers had something much more sophisticated. An analogue record, similar to a vinyl LP but made of gold-plated aluminium, was used as a time capsule to tell aliens about life on Earth. As well as spoken greetings in 55 languages, the records include sounds of music, surf, wind, bird calls and whale song.

Denne historien er fra Issue 133-utgaven av All About Space UK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Issue 133-utgaven av All About Space UK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA ALL ABOUT SPACE UKSe alt
15 AUTUMN STARGAZING TARGETS
All About Space UK

15 AUTUMN STARGAZING TARGETS

Go on a night-sky treasure hunt as the brighter evenings give way to the cooler months

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 160
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE WHY IS VENUS SO DRY?
All About Space UK

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE WHY IS VENUS SO DRY?

A new study reckons the answer lies high in the Venusian atmosphere

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue 160
WHEN BLACK HOLES TURN WHITE
All About Space UK

WHEN BLACK HOLES TURN WHITE

Can bouncing black holes help physicists find the ultimate theory of everything?

time-read
8 mins  |
Issue 160
THE MOON'S THIN ATMOSPHERE IS MADE BY CONSTANT METEORITE BOMBARDMENT
All About Space UK

THE MOON'S THIN ATMOSPHERE IS MADE BY CONSTANT METEORITE BOMBARDMENT

While the solar wind also contributes to the atmosphere, meteorites are the main culprit

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 160
INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL AND HOW TO BECOME A SPACE TOURIST
All About Space UK

INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL AND HOW TO BECOME A SPACE TOURIST

Having explored much of the Solar System, attention is now turning to the stars beyond

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue 160
NASA'S PERSEVERANCE ROVER FINDS POSSIBLE SIGNS OF ANCIENT RED PLANET LIFE
All About Space UK

NASA'S PERSEVERANCE ROVER FINDS POSSIBLE SIGNS OF ANCIENT RED PLANET LIFE

Further analysis is needed, but a rock contains potential evidence that life once existed on Mars in the distant past

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 160
A NASA TELESCOPE MAY HAVE FOUND ANTIMATTER ANNIHILATING IN POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST EXPLOSION SINCE THE BIG BANG
All About Space UK

A NASA TELESCOPE MAY HAVE FOUND ANTIMATTER ANNIHILATING IN POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST EXPLOSION SINCE THE BIG BANG

The massive explosion was captured in 2022

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 160
Jameel Janjua "This is how we get to Mach 3”
All About Space UK

Jameel Janjua "This is how we get to Mach 3”

Jameel Janjua made it to the bitter end in a Canadian government astronaut selection in 2009, but wasn't chosen. He found a different path to space through Virgin Galactic

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue 160
BOEING NEEDS TO IMPROVE QUALITY CONTROL ON THE SLS MOON ROCKET
All About Space UK

BOEING NEEDS TO IMPROVE QUALITY CONTROL ON THE SLS MOON ROCKET

The NASA Inspector General's report finds serious quality-control issues affecting the upgraded version and expects cost overruns and delays

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 160
DARK ENERGY
All About Space UK

DARK ENERGY

THE MOST DOMINANT FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE IS ALSO ITS MOST MYSTERIOUS AND MOST UNANTICIPATED

time-read
10 mins  |
Issue 160