Space Facts
Planets, stars and space exploration.
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.
The Moon Drifts About an Inch Farther From Earth Every Year
The Moon is slowly moving away from Earth, getting about an inch farther away each year.
Saturn Is Less Dense Than Water
Saturn is the only planet in our solar system with an average density lower than that of water.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot Is Twice as Wide as Earth
Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a swirling oval of clouds twice as wide as Earth, and it has been observed for more than 300 years.
About 1.3 Million Earths Could Fit Inside the Sun
It would take about 1.3 million Earths to fill the volume of the Sun.
Olympus Mons on Mars Is the Largest Volcano in the Solar System
Mars is home to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, whose base covers an area about as large as the US state of Arizona.
A Day on Venus Is Longer Than Its Year
Venus takes 243 Earth days to rotate once but only 225 Earth days to orbit the Sun, so a day on Venus is longer than its year.