Space Facts

Children will love the cool, crazy, strange, funny, weird, odd, bizarre and wacky information as well as did you know facts and other interesting space info that will help them learn a thing or two along the way.

• The Sun is over 300000 times larger than earth. More Sun facts.
  
• Halley’s Comet was last seen in the inner Solar System in 1986, it will be visible again from Earth sometime in 2061 (get your camera ready). More comet facts.

• Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system with a surface temperature of over 450 degrees celcius.
  
• Many scientists believe that an asteroid impact caused the extinction of the dinosaurs around 65 million years ago. More asteroid facts.
  
• The Solar System formed around 4.6 billion years ago. More Solar System facts.

• The Moon appears to have more craters and scars than Earth because it has a lot less natural activity going on, the Earth is constantly reforming its surface through earthquakes, erosion, rain, wind and plants growing on the surface, while the moon has very little weather to alter its appearance. More Moon facts.

• Saturn isn't the only ringed planet, other gas giants such as Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune also have rings, they are just less obvious.

• Footprints and tyre tracks left behind by astronauts on the moon will stay there forever as there is no wind to blow them away.

• In 2006, astronomers changed the definition of a planet. This means that Pluto is now referred to as a dwarf planet. Learn more dwarf planet facts.

• Because of lower gravity, a person who weighs 100kg on earth would only weigh 38kg on the surface of Mars.

• The only planet that rotates on its side like a barrel is Uranus. The only planet that spins backwards relative to the others is Venus.
  
• Some of the fastest meteoroids can travel through the solar system at a speed of around 42 kilometres per second (26 miles per second). Check out more meteoroid facts or learn the difference between comets, asteroids and meteoroids.

• The first man made object sent into space was in 1957 when the Russian satellite named Sputnik was launched.
  

• Jupiter's 4 biggest moons are named Europa, Ganymede, Callisto and Io. More Solar System moon facts.

• It is because of the Sun & Moons gravity that we have high & low tides.
  
• For a list of important space definitions take a look at our glossary of easy space and astronomy definitions for kids.

Sound Facts

Understand how sound waves come from vibrations and how your ears give you the ability to hear them.

• Sound comes from vibrations. These vibrations create sound waves which move through mediums such as air and water before reaching our ears.
  
• Our ears vibrate in a similar way to the original source of the vibration, allowing us to hear many different sounds.
  
• Dogs can hear sound at a higher frequency than humans, allowing them to hear noises that we can’t.
  
• Sound is used by many animals to detect danger, warning them of possible attacks before they happen.
  
• Sound can’t travel through a vacuum (an area empty of matter).
  
• The speed of sound is around 767 miles per hour (1,230 kilometres per hour).
  
• The loud noise you create by cracking a whip occurs because the tip is moving so fast it breaks the speed of sound!
  
• When traveling through water, sound moves around four times faster than when it travels through air.
  
• The scientific study of sound waves is known as acoustics.
  
• Although music can be hard to define, it is often described as a pleasing or meaningful arrangement of sounds.
  
• The sound of thunder is produced by rapidly heated air surrounding lightning which expands faster than the speed of sound.

Physics Facts

Enjoy the world of science with our amazing physics facts.

• Because of differences in gravity, a 100kg (220 pound) person would only weigh 38kg (84 pounds) on Mars. More gravity facts.
  
• Electric eels can stun both predators and prey with electric shocks of around 500 volts. More electricity facts.
  
• Energy from food is usually measured in joules or calories. More energy facts.
  
• Light from the Earth takes just 1.255 seconds to reach the Moon. More light facts.
  
• Sound travels at a speed of around 767 miles per hour (1,230 kilometres per hour). More sound facts.
  
• When traveling at 80 kilometres per hour (50 miles per hour), cars use around half of their fuel just to overcome wind resistance.
  
• Water can work against gravity, moving up narrow tubes in a process called capillary action.
  
• A magnifying glass uses the properties of a convex shaped lens to magnify an image, making it easier to see.
  
• A scientist who studies physics is known as a physicist.
  
• Uranus is the only planet in our solar system that rolls on its side like a barrel, while Venus is the only planet that spins in the opposite direction to Earth.
  
• The fastest land animal in the world is the Cheetah, clocking a max speed of around 113 km per hour (70 mph).
  
• 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics was won by Albert Einstein for his work in the field of theoretical physics.