Outer space is a fascinating place! Children are captivated by anything that has to do with space exploration, whether they are sitting in science class or dreaming of becoming an astronaut. From those who are just a little curious about what happens beyond the surface of the Earth to kids passionate about one day visiting outer space, all have something to learn from worlds beyond our own. Here are 50 fun facts to share.

50 Fun Facts About Space for Kids
  1. The Sun is only an average-sized star, but one million planet Earths would fit inside of it.
  2. If you wanted to fly to Pluto, it would take you 800 years to get there.
  3. The hottest planet is Venus, which has a surface temperature of almost 850 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. The wind doesn’t blow on the moon, so footprints left on the moon will be there forever.
  5. Scientists think there are more stars in the sky than grains of sand on all the Earth’s beaches combined.
  6. It costs 12 million dollars to buy one NASA space suit.
  7. The planet Uranus rotates on its side.
  8. There is no sound in outer space because there is no atmosphere to transport sound waves.
  9. Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system. It’s called Olympus Mons, and it is 69,842 feet tall, which is almost three times higher than Mt. Everest.
  10. It can rain diamonds on Neptune because of how hot and pressurized it is.
  11. Astronauts grow 3% taller in space because of the lack of gravity. They go back to their original height when they return to Earth.
  12. One day on Mercury is the same as 59 days on Earth.
  13. Black holes have such strong gravity that even light can’t escape them.
  14. Seven of the eight planets spin the same direction. Only Venus spins in the opposite direction.
  15. The red spot on Jupiter is a huge storm that has been blowing for over 400 years.
  16. Saturn is so light that it could float in water.
  17. Mercury and Venus are the only planets that don’t have any moons.
  18. Black holes make a humming sound, but the pitch is too low for humans to hear.
  19. There are about 500,000 pieces of space junk floating around in outer space.
  20. The sunset on Mars is blue.
  21. Dogs went to space before humans did.
  22. Earth’s moon is bigger than Pluto.
  23. The largest star is called UY Scuti and is 1700 times bigger than the Sun.
  24. Your body would be stretched like spaghetti if you got too close to a black hole.
  25. Neutron stars are the smallest stars in the universe and can spin 600 times per second.
  26. If two kinds of metal touch each other in outer space, they will be welded together.
  27. There is water floating in outer space. It is a huge water vapor cloud that contains more water than exists on Earth.
  28. The biggest asteroid is 600 miles wide.
  29. Saturn has 146 moons.
  30. There are about 1.4 million asteroids and 4000 comets in our solar system.
  31. Pluto’s large moon, called Charon, is so big that it makes Pluto wobble.
  32. Stars end their lives through supernova explosions.
  33. There are 2,000,000,000,000 galaxies in the universe.
  34. The outer boundary of our solar system ends at the Oort Cloud, which is a huge cloud shaped like a sphere.
  35. The International Space Station is the same size as a soccer field.
  36. The storms on Neptune are big enough to swallow Earth.
  37. Mercury is the fastest planet. It goes around the Sun at 107,000 miles per hour.
  38. If you stood on the equator on Mars, your feet would be warm, but your head would be freezing.
  39. The wind on Neptune can blow at 1600 miles per hour.
  40. The biggest canyon in outer space is Mars’s Valles Marineris. It is 3000 miles long and four times deeper than the Grand Canyon!
  41. By 2021, over 600 people had gone to outer space.
  42. Shooting stars aren’t stars. They are tiny pieces of space dust that burn and glow.
  43. Suction cups won’t work in outer space because there is no air.
  44. The hottest stars in outer space are blue.
  45. Pluto is smaller than the United States.
  46. Astronauts have said space smells metallic or like seared steak.
  47. One teaspoon of neutron star weighs the same as the combined weight of all the humans on Earth.
  48. Neptune has only orbited around the Sun once since it was discovered in 1846.
  49. The Milky Way is 105,700 light years wide.
  50. Only 5% of the universe is visible from Earth.

Perhaps one or two of these facts will spark students’ curiosity and make them want to learn more about outer space!

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50 Fun Facts About Space For Kids!