As Douglas Adams famously pointed out, space is big. Really big. Unimaginably big. In fact, space is so big that it's easy to forget that we're actually unimaginably small within it. And the many forces at play in the universe create terrifying, awe-inspiring sights — more than we can possibly discover and understand in a lifetime. All that makes life a ceaseless source of wonder and mystery.
And every time we feel like we have something figured out, it only seems to unveil newer, stranger mysteries. Every corner we explore , whether it's beyond our atmosphere or only seen through a microscope, reveals fresh surprises that can simultaneously inspire us and skate us to our core. But here are some of the discoveries that remind us why exploration and discovery in the big, wild, woolly expanse of outer space and planet Earth make our lives richer.
1. The Milky Way may contain up to 100 billion planets in the "Goldilocks Zone."
Researchers estimate each star has an average of two planets in their habitable zone. There are more stars in the Milky Way than we can possibly count, but estimates put our galaxy's star population at between 100 and 400 billion.
2. Volcanic eruptions on Jupiter's moon Io go hundreds of miles up.
If Earth had a similarly thin atmosphere, equivalent eruptions would reach more than 350 miles up! To give you an idea of that scale, the International Space Station orbits at about 220 miles up.
3. The largest mountain in the solar system is Mars's Olympus Mons.
At 16 miles high, it dwarfs both Mount Everest and Mauna Loa — and with a diameter of about 374 miles, it's roughly the same size as the state of Arizona.
4. The winds on Neptune blow up to 1,200 mph, much faster than the speed of sound.
It's so far away from the sun that, in 2011, it completed its first orbit since its discovery in 1846.
5. At some point in the next 50 years, a star in the Milky Way will explode.
It's only 20% likely that it will be visible with the naked eye, however.
6. A meteorite that struck California in 2012 was found to contain some of the oldest substances in the solar system.
The meteorite, which hit the ground in Gold Rush territory, proved a treasure trove for researchers. Strangely, the meteorite showed signs of having been heated and cooled before, a trait no other known meteorite has shown.
7. Scientists discovered evidence of 100,000 year-old life forms in a sub-glacial lake in Antarctica.
The mud at the bottom of the lake contained microbes living in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.
8. It takes about 250 million years for our solar system to complete an orbit of the center of the Milky Way.
So, since the time of the dinosaurs, about a quarter of a Galactic Year has passed.
9. Space smells like barbecue, hot metal, and fuel.
The scent, reported by astronauts taking off their helmets after space walks, is believed to be caused by dying stars.
10. Without oxygen, hydrogen would rise up and escape Earth's atmosphere.
Of course, that would mean little to us because without oxygen, the oceans would dissipate and all life on Earth would cease to exist.
11. On Venus the rain is sulphuric acid and snows heavy metals.
Surface temperatures are hot enough to melt lead, but at higher altitudes, those metals can condense, forming metallic "snow."
12. Evidence shows orangutans will plan travel routes a day in advance.
They'll also communicate their plans to others in their community.
13. NASA's Voyager 1 has recorded the first sounds from space.
You can listen to them here.
14. Scientists have harnessed the power of sewage.
Using microbes, the scientists believe they can extract 30% of potential energy in sewage.
15. Researchers have discovered where in the brain imagination occurs.
It's not actually one area, but a spread out network of "mental workspace."
Main image via NASA/ESA/ESO/Wolfram Freudling et al. (STECF)
Collage images via 1. flickr / NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center 2. flickr / Ken Brandon 3. NASA Visualization Explorer
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