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Want to Be an Astronaut? Check Out These Five Facts!

October 22, 2015 by

Does the kid in you still dream about being an astronaut? If you're still dreaming of walking on the moon, check out these facts from NASA about space suits and walking in space!

1) The temperature in space varies drastically, so it's important that astronauts wear specially designed space suits. The temperature can get as hot as 250 degrees Fahrenheit and just as cold.

2) Without the astronauts in them, a space suit weights 280 pounds on earth, while in space, the suits are weightless. Space suits are custom-made for each astronaut, but there is no difference between male and female suits, except for size.

3) It takes 45 minutes to put on a space suit. Then, an astronaut must wait up to an hour, breathing in pure oxygen, to let the body adjust before going on a space walk.

4) To get used to the weightless feeling of outer space, astronauts practice in their suits in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, a pool filled with 6.2 million gallons of water.

5) Space walks are called EVA, which stands for extravehicular activity. The first EVA by an American took place in June of 1965. The longest EVA to occur was almost nine hours long!

Visit NASA's website for more information.

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Imponderable of the Day: Why Does Looking at the Sun Make You Sneeze?

February 19, 2015 by

It’s a very curious sensation: You’re inside a dark room for a bit too long and when you step back outside into the bright sunlight, you suddenly feel a sneezing fit coming on. What’s the deal?

Staring at the sun makes about 20 to 35 percent of humans sneeze, and although scientists have a general idea of what causes this sensation, it’s still a very confusing conundrum. The phenomenon, which is known as “photic sneeze reflex,” is actually a genetic trait, which is why it only affects a small percentage of people. These people have visual systems that are more sensitive than those of other people, causing them to become agitated by the sunlight and send panicked responses to all of the nerves in the face, including the somatosensory system, which controls sneezing!

Now, go ahead and impress your friends with this new tidbit of information!

Looking at the Sun Can Trigger a Sneeze [Scientific American]
Why does bright light cause some people to sneeze? [Scientific American]
Does the sun make you sneeze? It's not just you [NBC News]
How Staring at the Sun Can Make You Sneeze [Gizmodo]

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Three Common Misconceptions About Astronomy

December 18, 2013 by

Safe and sound within the confines of our daily routines, it's hard to imagine the uncharted vastness that is Outer Space. Want to brush up on your astronomy knowledge? Here are three commonly-held truths about astronomy and Outer Space that are actually false.

The North Star is the brightest star in the night sky.
The North Star is actually of average brightness. It only appears to be the brightest star because of its close proximity to the North Celestial Pole (NCP). However, it remains true that if you're in the northern hemisphere, you can always determine your direction by looking for the North Star. 

It takes the Earth one year (365 days) to orbit the Sun.
To complete one revolution, it takes the Earth a period of 365.24 days (approximately 365-1/4 days).

There's no gravity on the Moon.
The Moon does have significant gravity; it just has less than the Earth's.

44 Common Misconceptions About Astronomy [SCC Physics Department]
Heavenly Errors: Misconceptions about the real nature of the universe [University of Maine]
Introduction to Astronomy [ASD Planetarium]

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