Copernical Team
Five weird things that happen in outer space
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know space is weird. But just how weird might surprise you. Space is dominated by invisible electromagnetic forces that we typically don't feel. It's also full of bizarre types of matter that we never experience on Earth. Here's five unearthly things that happen almost exclusively in outer space.
1. Plasma
On Earth, matter typically assumes one of three states: solid, liquid, or gas. But in space, 99.9% of normal matter is in an entirely different form—plasma. Made of loose ions and electrons, this substance is in a supercharged state beyond gas that's created when matter is heated to extreme temperatures or is plied with a strong electric current.
Although we rarely interact with plasma, we see it all the time. All the stars in the night sky, including the sun, are mostly made of plasma. It even appears occasionally on Earth in the form of bolts of lightning and in neon signs.
In comparison to gas, where individual particles chaotically zoom about, plasma can act collectively, like a team. It both conducts electricity and is influenced by electromagnetic fields—which operate under the very same force that keeps magnets on your fridge.
Out now: the December quarterly ESA Impact
ESA Impact 2021 Q4 edition
Great images and videos of climate change on view, BepiColombo flies by Mercury, Cheops gets a surprise, and more
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Football star and TV celebrity Michael Strahan caught a ride to space with Jeff Bezos' rocket-launching company Saturday, sharing the trip with the daughter of America's first astronaut.
"TOUCHDOWN has a new meaning now!!!" he tweeted after landing.
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket blasted off from West Texas, sending the capsule on a 10-minute flight with the two VIP guests and four paying customers.
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Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin company blasted its third private crew into space on Saturday and brought it back safely, this time including the daughter of the first American astronaut.
The stubby white spacecraft with a round tip blasted off into clear blue skies over West Texas for a roughly 11-minute trip to just beyond the internationally recognized boundary of space, 62 miles (100 kilometers) high.
The six-member crew hooted with glee as they unbuckled to enjoy a few minutes of weightlessness, looking out at space through tall windows in the capsule.
"I've never seen anything like that," one unidentified crew member said as Blue Origin livestreamed the flight.
