All Facts
Every fact here links to the source it was checked against.
The Hottest Air Temperature Ever Recorded Was in Death Valley
The world record highest air temperature, 134°F (57°C), was recorded at Furnace Creek in Death Valley on July 10, 1913.
The Grand Canyon Is 278 River Miles Long and a Mile Deep
The Grand Canyon is 278 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide from rim to rim, and one mile deep on average.
The Longest Mountain Range on Earth Is Mostly Under the Ocean
The longest mountain range on Earth is the mid-ocean ridge, which spans 40,389 miles around the globe, with about 90 percent of it under the ocean.
Tsunami Waves Can Travel as Fast as a Jet Plane
Over deep water, tsunami waves may travel as fast as jet planes, slowing down only when they reach shallow water.
Seawater Is About 3.5 Percent Salt
About 3.5 percent of the weight of seawater comes from dissolved salts, which come mainly from rocks on land and openings in the seafloor.
About Half of Earth's Oxygen Comes From the Ocean
Scientists estimate that roughly half of the oxygen production on Earth comes from the ocean, mostly from tiny photosynthetic plankton.
Corals Are Animals, Not Plants
Corals are animals, not plants: most coral structures are made up of hundreds to thousands of tiny creatures called polyps.
Starfish Are Not Fish and Have No Blood
Sea stars, commonly called starfish, are not fish: they have no gills, scales or fins, and they use sea water instead of blood to pump nutrients through their bodies.
Male Seahorses Get Pregnant and Give Birth
Seahorses and their close relatives, sea dragons, are the only species in which the male gets pregnant and gives birth.
The Killer Whale Is the Largest Dolphin
The killer whale, or orca, is the largest member of the dolphin family.
The Leatherback Is the Largest Turtle in the World
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest turtle in the world and the only species of sea turtle that lacks scales and a hard shell.
Sperm Whales Are the Largest Toothed Whales
Sperm whales are the largest of the toothed whales, and they hunt on deep dives that routinely reach 2,000 feet and can last 45 minutes.
The Webb Telescope Has the Largest Mirror Ever Launched Into Space
The James Webb Space Telescope's primary mirror is 6.5 meters (21 feet 4 inches) across, the largest mirror ever launched into space.
The Hubble Space Telescope Circles Earth Every 95 Minutes
The Hubble Space Telescope travels at about 17,000 miles per hour and makes one revolution around Earth every 95 minutes.
Astronauts on the Space Station See 16 Sunrises a Day
The International Space Station orbits Earth about every 90 minutes, so in 24 hours its crew travels through 16 sunrises and sunsets.
Sunlight Takes More Than Eight Minutes to Reach Earth
Light takes about 8.35 minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth, a distance of roughly 93 million miles.
Pluto Is Only About Half as Wide as the United States
Pluto is only about 1,400 miles wide, about half the width of the United States and about two-thirds the diameter of Earth's Moon.
Uranus Is Tilted Almost Completely on Its Side
Uranus is tilted 97.77 degrees, making it the only planet whose equator is nearly at a right angle to its orbit.
Neptune Is the Only Planet You Cannot See With the Naked Eye
Neptune is the only planet in our solar system that is not visible to the naked eye.
Mercury Is the Fastest Planet in the Solar System
Mercury is the fastest planet in our solar system, circling the Sun once every 88 Earth days.