Space myths

It's not that sounds don't exist; it's simply that you cannot hear them. There is no one better than Chris Hadfield, who has experienced multiple spacewalks as an astronaut, to clarify this misconception. Once you venture out into the darkness of space, all you perceive is complete silence, devoid of any sound. However, lurking just around the corner is the Sun, a massive ball of explosive energy. Although we cannot hear the explosions happening on the Sun because sound requires a medium to travel through, it would be quite unsettling for an astronaut to hear all the noises present in outer space.

Now, let's imagine you are zipping through space, feeling like a futuristic superhero, when a shooting star passes by your side. But wait, is it truly a star? Unfortunately, shooting stars are not stars at all. They are actually small space rocks called meteoroids that enter Earth's atmosphere, creating a captivating display of light. Here's another myth to debunk: you may have heard that meteors only crash into Earth on extremely rare occasions, like the one that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. That is not true. Scientists estimate that approximately 48 tons of meteoritic material fall on Earth each day, but most of it vaporizes in the atmosphere. The bright trails we see in the night sky are what we commonly refer to as shooting stars. So, the next time you make a wish upon a shooting star, remember that you are actually hoping on a tiny piece of space debris. It's not as romantic as it may seem.

Now, let's address the idea of flying into the stratosphere using air balloons. Unfortunately, it is not possible. While the Earth's stratosphere starts relatively close to the ground, about seven or eight miles above the Earth's surface, it extends far beyond that. If you were to attempt flying into the stratosphere with an air balloon, you would require specialized equipment such as a special suit and breathing devices. As you ascend higher, the air becomes progressively thinner. However, if you were able to reach the stratosphere, capturing a picture of the Earth's curvature would be a remarkable achievement. You could use a chest harness to hold a special camera and even consider live-streaming the experience.

Imagine being in outer space for 102 days, feeling like a seasoned space traveler, when something strange starts happening to your body—you're getting taller. How is that possible? Well, don't worry, it's completely normal. In the absence of gravity's constant force, your body starts to stretch. On Earth, gravity compresses the space between your vertebrae and joints, but in space, your body experiences the freedom to stretch more and more. As a result, astronauts can grow up to three percent taller during long missions. NASA has anticipated this change and tailor-makes spacesuits to accommodate the height increase. Once astronauts return to Earth, the anti-gravity effect wears off, and their bodies gradually readjust, so they may find themselves wearing capri pants for a few days until their suits fit perfectly again.

Have you ever pictured an airplane door bursting open mid-flight and passengers being sucked into the atmosphere like flying feathers? It's a terrifying thought that many people have entertained while on a plane. Now, imagine if this were to happen in outer space. According to astronaut Chris Hadfield, if an astronaut were to be sucked out of an airlock, the consequences would be far worse than common knowledge suggests. The part of your body shaded from the sun would experience temperatures as low as negative 418 degrees Fahrenheit, while the part exposed to sunlight would burn at around 480 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, your lungs would collapse, and your blood would start to boil, akin to water reaching its boiling point. So, you would simultaneously burn, freeze, lose the ability to breathe, and boil—an incredibly dire situation.

How many times have you heard that astronauts have to work out every second of every day, otherwise they will lose muscle mass? Well, that's a complete myth. As we discussed earlier, due to the lack of gravity in outer space, astronauts' bodies don't have to exert the same level of effort as they do on Earth. They don't have to sustain the weight of their heads with their torsos, and walking doesn't require any effort. However, living in microgravity for six months or even a year can cause muscles to weaken and atrophy. To combat this, astronauts work out by strapping themselves onto treadmills or using special weightlifting machines. These exercises help minimize the impact of muscle loss caused by the absence of gravity. Staying hydrated is also essential for astronauts in space.

Did you know that space has a distinct smell? It's often described as a scent resembling burnt steak or barbecue sauce. While astronauts cannot smell space while they are in it because they cannot remove their helmets, they may encounter this odor when a space vehicle docks and the hatch is opened. The presence of hydrocarbons floating around in space is believed to be the cause of this peculiar smell.

Now, let's address the concept of time dilation. If astronauts were to travel at the speed of light, would they not age a single second? The answer is no. First of all, we have not yet developed the technology to travel at the speed of light, as it would require an immense amount of energy. Even if we were able to send a human in a spacecraft traveling at the speed of light, they would still age, albeit differently from those who remained on Earth. Time dilation is a genuine phenomenon, but it does not grant immortality. Aging would still occur, although at a different rate.

In movies like Avatar, humans reach distant planets by entering cryosleep, where their bodies are frozen and preserved in cryobeds, allowing them to travel for years without aging. As appealing as this concept sounds, we currently lack the technology to achieve cryosleep. When water freezes, it expands, which would harm tissues and organs within a person's body. Therefore, cryosleep for interstellar travel remains a technological dream for now.

Lastly, let's indulge in a wild thought experiment. What would happen if an astronaut took a drone with them on a spacewalk? Unless the drone is specifically designed by NASA, it would not fare well in space. Similar to humans without suits, the drone would likely freeze and burn due to the extreme conditions. However, we can always dream about the possibilities.

That concludes our exploration of these space-related myths. If you found this information interesting, feel free to like and share the video with your friends. For more enlightening content, click on the recommended videos and stay curious on the bright side!