Time Is A Lie

One thing people fail to understand is how “time” actually works. While we addressed how a day can work on Venus, we never addressed the issue with time. Not just on Venus, but also on Earth, Mars, and every other planet. When we discuss “time,” we usually base this on how long it takes for a rotation to take place. These rotations give us daytime or nighttime, depending on where you are on the planet. Yet since we’re on an axis that aides our rotation, gravity has a lot to do with how time works. Thus, since gravity levels differ, it is safe to say that “time” is not real. Gravity is real and this is what truly dictates things to give us “time.”

Astronauts Put In The Work

While this might not necessarily be creepy facts about space itself, this is a pretty creepy fact about what humans have to deal with in space. First, you should know that it is rare that a person ever stays in space for a full calendar year. Some have gone to space a few times, but very few have ever remained at the International Space Station for this long. Yet those that have quickly realized that recycling was common on the I.S.S., especially things that once came out of them. Within a year, an astronaut will have drank roughly 730 liters of recycled sweat and urine on average. While it was clean and safe to drink, it still makes us gag a little.

Universal Expansion

We all know that the universe is expanding every moment of every day. This is pretty weird and even amazing to think about and this expansion is important for several different reasons too. First, in your lifetime, the Earth will have moved positions in space from where it once was. Yet this also presents a problem, which is what puts it among the creepy facts about space. Right now, there are things visible to us and present-day equipment. However, several years from now, some of those things will no longer be visible and it’s hard to know if we’ll have the tech to keep up with the expansion. Especially now knowing it is expanding much faster than we ever knew.

White Holes

We all know about black holes, right? It has been theorized for years now that if something is sucked up by a black hole, it cannot remain inside it forever. Simply put, either a black hole has to spit something out in another universe or does so somewhere else in our universe. Where it does this, however, is unknown. The location could differ with every black hole. Yet if a black hole sucks things in, a white hole would be the exit point where it spits stuff out and pushes it away. Science now believes this is happening in our universe. The only question we will continue to have is, well, where are these exit points?

Galactic Cannibalism Is Worthy Of Fearing

Cannibalism in any form can seem pretty horrible, even if it’s a normal part of nature among some animal species. Yet on a universal scale, galactic cannibalism is pretty crazy. Not only could it cause problems with the galaxies, but it could also result in several issues with both stars and planets within them. Galactic cannibalism is the process in which a large galaxy merges with a companion galaxy, usually through tidal gravitational interaction. Normally, this causes the formation of an “Irregular Galaxy,” which you can see through the Whirlpool and Antennae Galaxies. Of course, this cannibalistic move does not happen quickly. It can take thousands to millions of years. Yet the problems it can cause are still present, making this one of the creepy facts about space people need to know about.

Earth Rotation Speed

You might be surprised to learn that the Earth rotates at an impressively fast speed. This means we are traveling through space right now at a high speed that we cannot even notice. However, if we were to slow down or speed up, you’d certainly notice it. Right now, we’re moving 67,000 miles per hour. We’re actually aided even more by our host star, the Sun. The star’s gravity gives us more speed, 490,000 mph more to be exact. Meaning we’re actually moving at a true speed of 557,000 miles per hour. Yet you probably never noticed, which goes to show how impressive our planet truly is.

It’s Good To Stay Humble On Earth

If anyone ever puts themselves above anyone else in some sort of narcissistic attempt to matter, tell them about this. Sure, it’s one of the creepy facts about space but it’ll humble anyone. While we’re living beings in this universe, we’re only a small part of it. At one point, a photo was taken by a probe we sent out when it was around Saturn. It looked back at Earth and captured what Carl Sagan called a “Pale Blue Dot.” Later on, one would be taken when a probe reached Pluto only to see even less than the other, a “Pale Blue Spec.” On a galactic scale, you might not even find our solar system, much less our planet. At a universal scale, our own galaxy is not easy to spot. We’re so small, that on a universal scale if we were wiped out tomorrow, the universe wouldn’t even notice.

Why Space Appears Black

With all of those stars and planets out there, you’d think space would be filled with these things at every turn. Instead, many are lightyears away. This concept resulted in something known as the Olbers’ Paradox, named after the German Astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers. In 1823, he presented the idea that if the universe is truly infinite, static, and timeless, then everywhere you look should eventually hit a star. Of course, the universe is neither static nor timeless and Olbers was unaware of what we now know. When Edwin Hubble discovered universal expansion and thermal radiation from the Big Bang, we understood why space is so black. We don’t see stars in every direction simply because some have not been around long enough for their light to actually reach us!

Water Can Start Fires In Space

On Earth, water is usually known for stopping fires more than aiding them. Yet in 2014, scientists were experimenting with “supercritical water.” This is a state of water that occurs when it is compressed to a pressure of 217 atmospheres and heated above 373 degrees Celsius (703.4 degrees Fahrenheit). When this supercritical water is mixed with organic material, it actually creates a liquid-like gas that actually causes a burning effect. Of course, no flame comes from this which likely makes it safer to use than actual fire. Astronauts actually use this water to help them dispose of waste.

We’re Not Alone… Or Are We?

With our universe being over 13 billion years old, it is statistically impossible to believe that we’re the only intelligent life to ever exist. The very fact that we evolved from what we were to what we are now, proves it is possible elsewhere. Are we the most intelligent? That remains to be seen, but it’s unlikely. However, we have yet to discover life elsewhere and as of now, no other lifeform or species has discovered us. At least, none that we know of. One of the creepy facts about space might also be the most depressing. We might never communicate with beings from our own solar system, and certainly none from other galaxies. It could be for many reasons too, which is like being broken up with by your partner who never tells you why they did it.

Gamma-Ray Bursts

Another reason life from other planets has not met up with us yet could be due to Gamma-Ray Bursts. In fact, many scientists believe this could be one of the biggest culprits of the problem. GRBs are giant explosions in distant galaxies that send out waves of gamma rays. These rays are known to be the strongest form of energy in the entire universe, as they have the ability to completely destroy entire planets. Of course, their properties need to be pointed directly at the planet. We’ve seen them in action before, but none have come close to us. Yet in 2018, it was found that the Milky Way experiences one of these at least every five million years. Even if this does take place, Earth is distant enough from the potential radiation that it won’t be affected.

We’re One Flying Rock Away From Possible Extinction

Let’s face it, while asteroids and meteors were referenced already, one thing is clear. We’re quite literally one flying rock away from possible extinction. Just look at what happened to the dinosaurs or the rocks that caused the eventual Ice Ages. Heck, even look at how our Earth was able to form and how we were able to get water all over the place. It all happened by flying rocks coming toward the Earth that we could not stop. That last part is the worst thing of all. If there is a rock coming our way, we do not have the technology as of this writing to deflect it or destroy it. If that does not freak you out, nothing will!

Milky Way’s Black Hole Problem

While we know a supermassive black hole is at the center of every large galaxy, the Milky Way might have gone a bit too far. According to a 2018 study, it is believed there are tens of thousands of black holes at the center of our galaxy. While black holes are impossible to detect on their own, considering light cannot escape them, they are possible to find. When paired with a star, they interact in such a way that you can spot them using x-rays. This particular study found black holes using this method, where stars were paired with around 10,000 black holes. Talk about creepy facts about space that will ruin your sleep tonight!

Extended Space Travel Changes Your DNA

If you ask astronaut Scott Kelly about spending a year in space on the International Space Station, he might have a lot to say. He was actually part of something known today as the “NASA Twin Experiment.” Scott has a twin brother named Mark, and while Scott went into space, Mark remained behind so that NASA could see how someone could be affected by their time in space. When Scott returned, he was two inches taller than his departing height. Comparing the DNA, NASA found that Scott’s gut bacteria was completely different and his gene expression changed too. While Scott did go back down to his original height, the other genetic changes remained. Thus, Mark and Scott Kelly are now no longer capable of being known as “identical twins.”

One Day, Things Will Be Over

There is one inescapable thing we all should know. Among all the creepy facts about space, this is the one that’ll likely stick with you the most. One day, obviously a very long time from now, it’ll all be over. Our universe will one day not exist any longer. Trillions of years from now, all stars would have died off and all planets will become uninhabitable. Unlike other things, our universe will not go down in some blaze of fire and glory. Rather, it’ll go out cold and with a whimper. All things, all we know and will have ever known – every single bit of it – will be gone. Nothingness will come, and everything will be gone as if it never even happened at all.

Where do We Find this Stuff? Here Are Our Sources:

National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)

European Space Agency (ESA)

Harvard University

Arizona State University

California Institute of Technology

National Geographic

Scientific American

Smithsonian Institution

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS)