Did You Know: Space – What was the Space Race? The Space Race was a contest between the United States and Russia to conquer space. The race meant that humans began eagerly exploring space. It ended when the first astronaut walked on the moon. November 3, 1957 Laika the Space Dog Russian dog, Laika, was … Read more
Did You Know: Space – Have animals been to space? It’s not just people who have explored space—animals were sent there first! They helped us understand about the effects of space travel on living things. Fruit flies The first animals to travel into space were fruit flies in 1947. Scientists wanted to discover if space … Read more
Did You Know: Space – Who were the first space explorers? Early space explorers were the first people to ride in rockets, see the Earth from hundreds of miles away, and feel weightless. They were the pioneers of space travel. Yuri Gagarin The first person to travel in space was Yuri Gagarin. On April 12, … Read more
People have been fascinated with space for thousands of years. New machines are always being invented to help us travel farther and learn more about the universe Did You Know: Space – How do we look into space? We can use devices called telescopes to look into space. They can be used to look closely … Read more
Did You Know: Space – What shines the brightest in the universe? Quasars are the brightest objects in the universe. They are powered by huge black holes, called supermassive black holes, where stars, gas, and dust are being pulled inward. Some quasars can shine hundreds of times brighter than the whole of the Milky Way. … Read more
Did You Know: Space – Are there any planets outside our solar system? When you look up at the night sky, most of the stars you can see probably have at least one planet orbiting around them. There are many planets outside our solar system and more are being discovered all the time What are … Read more
Did You Know: Space – Why do stars twinkle? On a clear, dark night, you can see hundreds of stars shining in the sky. But stars don’t actually twinkle, they only appear to do so because we are viewing them through the thick layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. Star patterns Collections of stars in the … Read more
Did You Know: Space – What shape is the Milky Way? Our solar system is in the Milky Way galaxy. Galaxies, like planets and stars, are constantly spinning through space and hold many solar systems within them. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy with arms that are made of clumps of stars. Bright arms … Read more
Did You Know: Space – What happens when stars die? Just like everything else in our universe, stars are born and eventually die. Some stars have very quiet deaths, and others end with massive explosions. Follow this diagram to see how different stars change throughout their lives. Average star An average star is a star … Read more
Did You Know: Space – What is a black hole? Black holes are among the most mysterious and incredible things in the universe. They aren’t real holes, but are areas where matter has been squashed into a tiny space. It is thought that black holes have strange powers… Keep your distance! Don’t get too close … Read more
