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When we think about the universe, we often picture endless stars scattered across the night sky.
Yet beyond what our eyes can see lies a reality far stranger and more astonishing than we imagine.
In this blog, let us discover 5 fun facts about the universe — each one revealing mysteries that challenge what we thought we knew about space itself.
5 Fun Facts About the Universe
1. There’s way more water in space than on Earth.
What do people usually think?
People have an intuitive perception that, since our planet is known as the “Blue Planet” and 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, there are no heavenly bodies that have as much water as the Earth.
But you won’t believe this, because in reality, there is more water in space than on Earth.
Here is the astonishing truth:
Despite being known as the “Blue Planet,” our planet Earth is not the only heavenly body that contains a large amount of water.
In fact, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), there are water molecules in space that were formed when two atoms of hydrogen (from the Big Bang) and one of oxygen (processed in the cores of stars) were combined.
As an example, in the Orion Nebula (an enormous cloud of dust and gas), many water molecules exist and form even to this day.
And you know what?
According to NASA, this nebula is largely composed of hydrogen gas and creates over 60 times the amount of water to fill the Earth’s oceans.
What a mind-blowing fact to know that our space holds a larger amount of water than our Earth!
2. The coldest spot in the universe is not in deep space but in a lab.
What do people usually think?
We often think that nature can offer much more than humans, especially when discussing extreme conditions.
Yes, it’s true!
However, you will not believe that humans were able to create the coldest spot in a lab.
Here is the astonishing reality:
Logically, the coldest place in the universe should be in deep space.
However, when discussing extreme conditions, whether natural or not, the coldest temperature is not in deep space but in a lab.
As stated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Boomerang Nebula is the coolest place in the universe, with a temperature of 1 Kelvin. That is approximately -460 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, the coolest temperature that humans have ever achieved in a lab is 38 picoKelvin (or 0.000000000038 Kelvin). That is −459.67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hence, the Boomerang Nebula is the coolest natural place in the universe, while the man-made coldest spot was created in a lab.
3. Space is not as silent as you think.
What do people usually think?
People usually believe that most of the space is essentially a vacuum, so they think that there is no channel or medium for sound waves to travel and produce sounds.
But did you know that, contrary to the common belief, space is not completely silent?
Here is the astonishing reality:
Sound needs a medium, such as a gas, a solid, or a liquid, to transfer energy.
However, it is impossible to transmit sounds when we are in a vacuum.
While it’s true that most of space is nearly a perfect vacuum, there are celestial bodies, such as nebulae and galaxy clusters, that have enough gas to allow sound waves to propagate.
One example of these celestial bodies is a galaxy cluster, which is roughly composed of hundreds or thousands of galaxies.
This collection of galaxies contains stars, gas, and dust and is bound by its gravity.
And since these galaxies have enough gas, sound transmission is possible.
Therefore, even if most of the space is a vacuum, as discussed, it is not entirely silent.
4. The observable universe may contain more stars than all the grains of sand on Earth.
What do people usually think?
People usually think there are more grains of sand on Earth than stars in the universe.
Our perception of the universe is so limited that people cannot fully understand just how wide the universe is.
Some people will only believe what they see; hence, they might think the readily observable sand on Earth must be more than the distant stars in the universe.
What you’re about to discover will blow your mind, as there are many more stars in the universe than the grains of sand.
Here is the astonishing reality:
Using the most up-to-date geological studies, scientists predicted that there are 7.5 sextillion grains of sand on Earth, while astronomers estimated that there are a minimum of 70 septillion stars.
It is also important to note that the universe is expanding at an increasing rate over time, with the majority of space remaining unobserved.
Hence, there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on Earth.
Doesn’t that change the way you picture it?
5. Most of the universe is invisible.
What do people usually think?
Because of what we see in the media about space being full of stars and planets, we tend to think that’s all the universe really is.
Guess what?
Less than 5% of the entire universe is made up of matter we can actually see, like stars, planets, and galaxies.
Here is the astonishing reality:
The entire universe is divided into three components: normal matter, dark matter, and dark energy.
The stars, planets, and other celestial bodies we see in space make up only about 5% of the entire universe.
In fact, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), approximately 27% of the universe is made up of dark matter, while around 68% consists of dark energy.
Hence, what we see in the media about space represents only about 5% of the entire universe.
This means that most of the universe is actually invisible.
And so, these 5 fun facts about the universe pull back the veil, reminding us that what we see is only the surface of something vast and unfathomable.
Wrap-Up
The universe is bigger, colder, louder, and more invisible than what our eyes can see or our minds can fully grasp.
Each fact reminds us that what we think we know is only a fragment of reality.
And maybe that’s the most humbling truth of all — that we are small, standing on the edge of something infinite, still searching for answers in the dark.
Which of these 5 fun facts about the universe struck you the most?
Or is there another mystery of the cosmos you’d like to discover?
Share your thoughts in the comments — your curiosity might lead us to the next great wonder worth exploring.
