Venture into the cosmos as we debunk popular misconceptions about space exploration. From astronaut life to interplanetary travel, this article corrects common myths and offers a clearer understanding of the cosmos.
Misconception 1: Astronauts are weightless because there’s no gravity in space
Although it appears that astronauts in space are “weightless,” it’s not because there’s no gravity in space. Gravity exists everywhere, even in space. However, astronauts in orbit are falling towards Earth while moving forward fast enough to keep missing it. This continuous falling is what creates the sensation of weightlessness.
Misconception 2: Humans would explode in the vacuum of space
Contrary to popular belief and Hollywood’s depiction, humans would not instantly explode in the vacuum of space due to the lack of atmospheric pressure. Instead, the gases in the body would expand, which could cause some discomfort but not an explosion. However, without a spacesuit, fatal effects such as oxygen deprivation would occur in less than two minutes.
NASA / Misconception 3: The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space
Despite the widespread myth, the Great Wall of China isn’t visible from space without the aid of telescopic lenses. In fact, astronauts have reported that most visible human-made structures are those with large, geometrically regular shapes or large linear features, such as airports and highways.
Misconception 4: It’s easy to spot stars in space
Many people imagine space as a place filled with countless visible stars. However, astronauts in Earth’s orbit often have difficulty seeing stars, primarily due to the brightness of the Sun. When in the Earth’s shadow, stars can be seen, but not in the vast numbers we might imagine.
Misconception 5: There’s a dark side of the moon
The term “dark side of the moon” can be misleading. While it’s true that one side of the moon always faces away from Earth (the far side), it’s not always in darkness. The moon is tidally locked with Earth, meaning it rotates on its axis at the same rate it orbits our planet, so we always see the same side. However, the far side receives just as much sunlight as the side we see.
NASA / Misconception 6: Space travel will age you slower
Yes and no. According to Einstein’s theory of special relativity, time slows down for objects moving at high speeds, including astronauts. However, the effect is minuscule at the speeds reached by today’s spacecraft. An astronaut on the International Space Station for six months would age less than a second less than those on Earth.
Misconception 7: NASA spends a significant portion of the US budget
Many people believe that NASA receives a significant portion of the US budget, but this isn’t the case. In reality, NASA’s budget has typically constituted less than 1% of the federal budget in recent decades.
Misconception 8: Space is incredibly cold
While it’s true that parts of space can be incredibly cold, saying space is cold can be misleading. Because space is a vacuum, there are no air molecules to transfer heat or cold, as we’re used to on Earth. Thus, in the shadow of an object—where sunlight is blocked—space can be very cold. But in direct sunlight, without the protection of Earth’s atmosphere, space can be incredibly hot.
Misconception 9: You can’t cry in space
The statement isn’t entirely accurate. Astronauts can indeed produce tears in space, but these tears behave differently than they would on Earth. Due to the lack of gravity, tears don’t flow downward as they do on Earth. Instead, they accumulate into a ball of liquid that must be wiped away.
Misconception 10: Astronauts eat food in pill form
Despite the image often portrayed in science fiction, astronauts don’t survive on a diet of food pills. Instead, they eat a variety of foods, including fruits, nuts, vegetables, poultry, seafood, and more. These foods are often freeze-dried and then rehydrated with water before eating. While eating in space does present some challenges—like food floating away!—astronauts maintain relatively normal diets.
Misconception 11: People in space grow taller
Well, this one is true, but only temporarily. In the microgravity environment of space, the spine can expand without the normal pressure of gravity, leading astronauts to grow up to 2 inches taller during long space missions. However, they return to their normal height once back on Earth, often after a few days.
Misconception 12: There’s no sound in space
In the vacuum of space, sound waves cannot travel as there is no medium to transmit these waves. However, this doesn’t mean space is absolutely silent. Radio waves can be emitted by bodies in space, and these can be converted into sound that we can hear. Instruments on spacecraft can pick up and interpret these signals, turning them into sounds that are then transmitted back to Earth.
Misconception 13: The sun is yellow
Looking at the sun from Earth, it appears yellow or orange due to the Earth’s atmosphere scattering shorter wavelength colors like blue and violet light. But the sun itself is essentially all colors mixed together, which appear white. Astronauts see the sun as a white light from space.
Misconception 14: Mars is very hot
Because Mars appears red, and red often signifies heat, people commonly believe that Mars is a hot planet. However, Mars is much colder than Earth. The average temperature on Mars is around -80 degrees Fahrenheit, and it can get as cold as -195 degrees Fahrenheit at the poles.
Conclusion: Understanding Space Exploration
Space exploration is a complex field that’s often misunderstood, partly due to its depiction in popular culture. By correcting these misconceptions, we can gain a more accurate understanding of the cosmos and our place within it, fostering an appreciation for the intricate realities of space exploration.
