Today Todd and I shared some fun facts about space – why?  Well, because Todd’s taking Astronomy this semester and I just got hooked on the new CBS Star Trek series, Discovery.

Here are those things you can use to impress your friends:

THERE MAY BE LIFE ON MARS. Of all the planets in our solar system (apart from Earth), Mars is the one most likely to be hospitable to life. In 1986, NASA found what they thought may be fossils of microscopic living things in a rock recovered from Mars.

THERE IS A VOLCANO ON MARS THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF MOUNT EVEREST.

At 600 km wide and 21 km high, Olympus Mons is a volcano on Mars that may still be active, according to scientists. It is the tallest peak of any planet. However, the Rheasilvia central peak on the asteroid Vesta is taller at 22 km.

A FULL NASA SPACE SUIT COSTS $12,000,000.

While the entire suit costs a cool $12 million dollars, 70% of that cost is for the backpack and control module.

THERE MAY BE A PLANET MADE OUT OF DIAMONDS.

As space facts go, this is pretty impressive. Research by Yale University scientists suggests that a rocky planet called 55 Cancri e — which has a radius twice Earth’s, and a mass eight times greater – may have a surface made up of graphite and diamond. It’s 40 light years away but visible to the naked eye in the constellation of Cancer.

IF TWO PIECES OF THE SAME TYPE OF METAL TOUCH IN SPACE THEY WILL PERMANENTLY BOND.

This incredible fact is also known as cold welding and it happens because the atoms of two pieces of metal have no way of knowing they are separate. This doesn’t happen on Earth because of the air and water found between the pieces.

Thanks to theplanets.org for the OUT OF THIS WORLD information!

Today’s trivia was (Family Feud style) – Name something an astronaut might see outside the window of the international space station.

The top answers were: 1- Earth (29 votes) 2- the Moon (26) 3- the sun (14) 4- an alien (11) T5- a shuttle (4) and Mars (4) T6- a satellite (3) 8- astronaut (3) 9- a comet (3)

Congratulations to Juanita from Mount Vernon who won the $5 gift certificate to Troyer’s of Apple Valley! Thanks for listening!

-Joe and Todd