The universe revealed

Mind-blowing truths: 10 space facts you won’t believe are real

Did you know that everything we know about the universe makes up only about 5% of it? Even so, there’s still much that might surprise you. On some planets, a year is shorter than a day, while on others it can literally rain diamonds. From the smell of comets to the color of Mars’ sunsets, here are 10 incredible facts about the universe you probably didn’t know.

Perhaps if the Weather Girls had been born on Neptune or Uranus, their famous hit might have had a very different title, because something extraordinary may happen on these planets: it can rain diamonds! The immense pressures in their atmospheres can compress carbon into diamond crystals, which then sink deeper into the planets’ interiors.

If you are reading this at night, step out into your backyard and take a look at the Moon. While we often assume everyone sees the Moon the same way, that’s not true. In fact, the Moon appears "upside down" in the Southern Hemisphere. This happens because your perspective changes relative to the Moon: in the Northern Hemisphere, you’re viewing it from "above" the equator, while in the Southern Hemisphere, observers see it from "below."

Saturn, the second-largest planet in our solar system, has a diameter of about 74,897 miles, making it roughly nine times wider than Earth. Surprisingly, it’s theoretically possible for Saturn to float on water... if only you could find an ocean big enough! This isn’t because of its size, but because of its composition: the planet is mostly made of hydrogen and helium, extremely light gases that make Saturn less dense than water.

Remember that time you got distracted and the steak on the stove got a little burnt? Surprisingly, the smell in your kitchen isn’t too different from what astronauts report after spacewalks. Scientists have noticed that objects returning from space, especially those exposed to the vacuum outside the spacecraft, carry a distinctive odor often described as burnt steak or welding fumes.

It takes Earth about 365 days to orbit the Sun, which is why our year is that long. A day, on the other hand, lasts just 24 hours because that’s how long it takes Earth to complete one full rotation on its axis. But on Venus, things work very differently. A single day on Venus (the time it takes to rotate once on its axis) is about 243 Earth days, making its rotation extremely slow. Surprisingly, a year on Venus is shorter than its day, because it only takes about 225 Earth days for Venus to orbit the Sun. Incredible, isn’t it?

Since we see the Moon in the sky nearly every night, it’s easy to forget that it’s a giant rock floating far away in space. In fact, the distance between Earth and the Moon is about 238,900 miles, so vast that, in theory, you could line up all the other planets in our solar system across that gap!

Mars is famously called the "Red Planet" because its surface is covered in iron oxide (rust), giving it a reddish appearance from afar. But if you were standing on Mars at sunset, you’d get a surprise: unlike Earth’s warm orange, gold, and pink hues, Martian sunsets appear blue. This happens because the planet’s thin, dusty atmosphere scatters sunlight differently, allowing blue light to dominate near the Sun at sunset.

Comets, made of ice, dust, and frozen gases, are truly spectacular to see. But if you could smell them, they might not be so pleasant. As a comet nears the Sun, its ices sublimate, turning directly from solid to gas and releasing various compounds. Among these are sulfur-containing gases, which give off a strong rotten-egg smell.

Scientists can estimate the number of stars in the universe using observations and projections. Astronomers observe a small patch of the sky, count the galaxies and stars there, and then extrapolate those numbers to the entire observable universe. While Earth has an incredible number of sand grains, these calculations suggest that there are far more stars than grains of sand. If you're not impressed yet, remember that many of those stars are much larger than any planet!

If the last fact shocked you, this one will totally blow your mind. While our galaxy has far fewer stars than the entire observable universe, you might be surprised to learn that trees on Earth actually outnumber the stars in the Milky Way. That’s right! Scientists estimate there are roughly 3 trillion trees on our planet, while the Milky Way contains only about 100 to 400 billion stars.

The truth about your brain

You won’t believe what happens in your brain while you sleep

Image: Milad Fakurian

Your brain is one of the most powerful and mysterious organs in your body. It controls everything from your thoughts to your emotions and even processes information at lightning speed. But how much do you really know about it? Some long-believed myths about the brain have been debunked, while other surprising facts reveal just how incredible this organ truly is. Get ready to be amazed by these fascinating brain facts!

Image: Natasha Connell

You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s completely false! While it’s true that not all parts of the brain fire at the same time, imaging studies show that most regions are active throughout the day, even when we sleep.

Your brain is constantly working, controlling bodily functions and emotions, and processing information. So next time someone says you’re only using 10% of your brain, you can confidently tell them that’s just a myth!

Image: Aarón Blanco Tejedor

Here’s a weird fact: While your brain processes pain signals from the rest of your body, it has no pain receptors of its own. This is why surgeons can perform brain surgery on conscious patients without causing them pain.

However, the membranes and tissues surrounding the brain do have pain receptors, which is why headaches and brain injuries can be so excruciating.

Image: Usman Yousaf

How come we have headaches if the brain has no pain receptors? Well, that’s because headaches are triggered by chemical activity in the brain, changes in nerves and blood vessels, and even fluctuating serotonin levels.

In some cases, hormones like estrogen can also play a role, which explains why migraines are more common in women.

Image: Go to Johannes Plenio's profile Johannes Plenio

Dreams are proof that your brain never rests! (Warning: this fact can make you feel exhausted.) While you sleep, your limbic system, that is, the part of the brain that deals with emotions, becomes especially active, which is why dreams often feel so intense.

On average, humans experience four to seven dreams per night, even if we don’t always remember them. And what about that scary nightmare about falling? Well, you can thank your amygdala, the brain’s fear center, for that one.

Image: Brett Jordan

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly forgotten what you were after? That’s because short-term memory only lasts about 20-30 seconds! That’s not enough!

Your brain holds a limited amount of information in its active state before deciding whether to store it or discard it. Ironically, we can’t really choose what makes the cut, but we do hope these facts stay with you!

Image: BUDDHI Kumar SHRESTHA

That sharp, icy pain when you eat something too cold? It’s your brain’s way of telling you to slow down! Officially called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, a brain freeze happens when cold food or drinks rapidly chill the blood vessels in your throat, causing them to constrict and then rapidly expand. This sends pain signals to your brain, warning you of the sudden temperature shift. It’s annoying, but it’s actually your body trying to protect itself!

Image: Josh Riemer

You didn’t need us to tell you, but let’s look at the details: The average person has between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day. What’s even more interesting? 95% of those thoughts are the same ones you had yesterday. Is that not surprising enough? Hear this out: 80% of them tend to be negative. That’s because our brains are wired for survival, constantly analyzing risks and potential dangers.

Image: Terry Vlisidis

Even though it only makes up about 2% of your body weight, your brain employs a major quantity of energy! It consumes 20% of your oxygen and blood supply, making it one of the most demanding organs in your body.

If your brain goes without oxygen for just five minutes, brain cells start dying, leading to irreversible damage. This is why deep breathing and cardiovascular exercise are great for brain health!

Image: Alexander Andrews

Do you know that feeling when you hit the back of your head and see stars? That’s because your occipital lobe, which controls vision, is located at the back of your brain. If you get hit there, your brain momentarily misfires, causing flashes of light.

Interestingly, your brain processes vision on the opposite side; while your right brain controls your left eye, your left brain controls your right eye. It’s one of the many ways the brain operates in a complex way.

Image: Rodion Kutsaiev

Believe it or not, your brain generates between 12 and 25 watts of electricity when you’re awake. If you can’t really grasp how powerful that is, check this out: It’s enough to power a small light bulb! Your brain’s electrical activity is what allows neurons to send signals at speeds of up to 260 miles per hour.

Image: Robina Weermeijer

Your brain may be the fattiest organ in your body, consisting of at least 60% fat! This is why consuming healthy fats, like omega-3s and omega-6s present in fish, for example, is essential for brain health.

Healthy fats stabilize brain cell walls, reduce inflammation, and support cognitive function. So go ahead and enjoy that avocado toast, it’s food for your brain!

Image: Robina Weermeijer

It’s not just your memory that fades over time; the brain itself physically shrinks as one gets older. It continues developing until your late 40s, but after that, it slowly decreases in size.

Now, size doesn’t equal intelligence, so a smaller brain doesn’t necessarily mean a less capable one. Staying mentally active, exercising, and eating brain-boosting foods can help keep it in top shape!

Image: Lisa Yount

We often think of cholesterol as bad, but your brain actually depends on it! In fact, 25% of your body’s cholesterol is stored in your brain, where it helps with learning and memory. However, unlike other organs, the brain can’t absorb cholesterol from the blood, it has to produce its own. So, while too much cholesterol in the body can be harmful, the right amount is vital for brain function. At least you can use that as an excuse to get that burger!