The Science Behind Sound Absence in the Solar System, Astronaut Footprints on the Moon, and Changing North Star Positions

7. There is No Sound in the Solar System

In the solar system there is no sound whatsoever. This is because there is no atmosphere in outer space.

The atmosphere itself is a medium so that the sound created can propagate and be heard by us. The absence of an atmosphere is what causes outer space to be very quiet.

8. Astronaut Footprints on the Apollo Missions

The moon also has no atmosphere. That way, there is no wind and water there.

As a result, when pressure is applied, the marks left behind will last a long time. For example, the footprints of astronauts on the Moon are estimated to last up to 100 million years.

Indeed, not forever, because the Moon is bombarded with many micro-meteorites which cause erosion.

9. The position of the North Star can change

Navigation will get weird when Polaris stops being the North Star in the next 13,000 years. This is because the earth’s axis experiences a movement called ‘precession’.

This means that the planet’s axis will change and follow the shape of a cone. It takes about 26,000 years for the axis to trace the complete shape of the cone.

When the earth experiences precession, the North Star, which is currently Polaris, will also shift. In 3,000 BC, the North Star was believed to be Thuban or also known as Alpha Draconis. In 13,000 years, the star Vega will become the North Star.

However, in 26,000 years, Polaris will return to being the North Star because the earth continues to precess.

(Tiffany)

2024-04-09 18:00:00
#Interesting #Facts #Space