Ten Amazing Facts About the Universe You Ignored

The universe is a vast, complex, and extraordinary domain filled with mysteries beyond our understanding. Think again, even if you believe you know all about space. You will be in wonder reading these ten amazing facts about the universe.

1. The universe is widening more quickly than light's speed.

Though it seems unattainable, the universe is growing faster than light itself. Hubble's Law holds that galaxies travel away from us; the faster they are, the farthest they are. About 68% of the cosmos is dark energy, a mysterious force driving its expansion. Though nothing can move faster than light across space, space can span beyond this cosmic speed limit.

2. Space boasts a vast alcohol cloud.

You read correctly—a huge cloud of booze surrounds the Milky Way. Near the star-forming Sagittarius B2, this cosmic liquor shop has enough alcohol to create 400 trillion pints of beer. Sadly, it's largely methanol, which isn't drinkable, but the very existence of such a cloud is astounding.

3. A Venus Day lasts more than a year.

Often known as Earth's twin, Venus has among the most strange spins in the solar system. Venus completes one rotation on its axis, 243 Earth days, but only 225 Earth days to circle the Sun. You would thus experience a longer day than a full year if you were standing on Venus.

4. On One Planet There Rains Molten Glass

About 63 light-years distant, HD 189733b is one of the most inhospitable worlds ever found. Its atmosphere comprises silicate particles, and its winds run at 5,400 mph (more than seven times the speed of sound. These particles create molten glass showers that fly sideways in the searing winds when they condense. Imagine getting trapped in such a tempest!

5. Mars boasts the biggest known volcano.

On Mars stands Olympus Mons, the biggest volcano in the solar system. It is about sixteen miles (25km) and about three times taller than Mount Everest. Covering the whole state of Arizona, this massive shield volcano is 370 miles (600 km) in diameter. Scientists speculate Olympus Mons may still be active, so Mars might one day see another eruption.

6. The Sun Will Finally Eat the Earth

The life-giving star in the middle of our solar system, our Sun, won't last indefinitely. It will grow into a crimson behemoth and swallow Mercury and Venus in around five billion years. As it gets bigger, the strong heat and radiation will make Earth uninhabitable before consuming our planet. It won't happen very soon, but it reminds us of our delicate place.

7. A Huge Cosmic Web connects the Universe.

Galaxies are linked by a vast network of dark matter and gas known as the cosmic web, not strewn haphazardly over the universe. This structure comprises huge filaments linking galaxies like a spider's web, covering billions of light-years. Comprising the backbone of the cosmos, the cosmic web shapes its development over billions of years.

8. Black holes can "spaghettify" you.

One of the most horrible and amazing ends one could ever find is falling into a black hole. Extreme gravitational forces cause anything too near a black hole to undergo "spaghettification." Objects thus are stretched into long, thin threads as they spin into oblivion. Some of the most enigmatic objects in existence since even light cannot escape the hold of a black hole.

9. A neutron star is so dense that it might reduce Mount Everest to a sugar cube.

Extremely dense are neutron stars, the leftovers of big supernova explosions. One sugar-cube-sized piece of neutron star material would weigh as much as mankind's. These stars spin at astonishing rates—sometimes hundreds of times per second—and have strong magnetic fields. Should you miraculously find one—which is unattainable—the weight would suddenly crush you.

10. The Universe Might be unbounded.

Whether the universe has an edge is among the most riddles of cosmology. Scientists have not discovered any limit so that the cosmos could be limitless. If this is true, then an exact clone of you might live in an identical universe somewhere. The concept of an infinite cosmos questions all we know about reality since it creates countless opportunities.

The universe is far more complicated and amazing than we could dream. Every fresh discovery reveals more riddles challenging our conception of life. Who knows what more amazing discoveries will unveil as we continue exploring the universe?