Space is a mystery that astronomers are still actively working to solve. While spacecraft like the James Webb has given us a closer look at the early universe, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the world beyond our planet. Like anything mysterious, myths about space abound. But not everything you read or hear is true. Here are four space myths you should never believe.
Stars twinkle in the night
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star” might be one of the most iconic nursery rhymes, but it doesn’t mean it’s true. Sure, stars do appear to twinkle in the night, but that isn’t actually because they’re flickering. This space myth couldn’t be any more wrong.
Stars, like our Sun, actually shine all of the time. However, as their light travels through space towards Earth, it passes through various gasses and debris. These obstacles cause the stars to appear as if they are twinkling. It makes for a good jingle, but it isn’t true.
Mercury is the hottest planet in our solar system
Mercury is right next to our Sun. As such, it’s the hottest planet in our solar system. Not exactly. Mercury may be right next to the Sun, but this space myth doesn’t account for the incredibly high temperatures seen on planets like Venus.
For context, temperatures on Mercury can get up to almost 800 Fahrenheit during the day. However, Venus, which is twice as far away from our Sun, experiences daytime temperatures of up to 864 degrees Fahrenheit. That means Mercury isn’t nearly the hottest planet in our solar system. But it would still boil anyone that came too close to it.
Of course, one of the biggest things to remember with this space myth is that Mercury’s atmosphere is thin. So, the surface temperature plummets when it turns away from the Sun. However, Venus has a much thicker atmosphere, so it keeps all that heat bottled up on the planet.
Our bodies explode in space without protection
We’ve all seen the old sci-fi movies where someone’s space helmet cracks, and then suddenly their entire body explodes. But, in reality, space doesn