Curious Kids
What is space made of? Explaining the components from radiation to dark matter
“What is space made of – what does gravity actually bend?” — Phil, age 12, Birmingham What comes to mind when you think of space? Imagine a friend boasting about a spacious building, stadium or museum they recently visited. Do you envision the building as vast and expansive? Is it simply very large, or does …
Why does a rocket have to go 25,020 mph to escape Earth?
“Why does a rocket have to go 25,020 mph (about 40,000 kilometers per hour) to escape Earth?” — Bo H., age 10, Durham, New Hampshire There’s a reason why a rocket has to go so fast to escape Earth. It’s about gravity – something all of us experience every moment of every day. Gravity is …
Can humans colonize Mars in the foreseeable future?
“Can we colonize Mars?” — Clara, age 9, Brookline, Massachusetts In all likelihood, the first Martian will be a person, and the red planet will be humanity’s first extraterrestrial colony. For now, two robots called the Curiosity Rover and the Perservance Rover – sent to Mars to find out if the planet can sustain small …
How was the Earth built?
“How was the Earth built?” — Noah, age 5, Florida It isn’t easy to figure out how the Earth was built, because it happened 4½ billion years ago, and no one was there to watch. So scientists have had to look at what the Earth looks like now and at all of the other planets, …
Does outer space end – or go on forever?
“What is beyond outer space?” — Siah, age 11, Fremont, California Right above you is the sky – or as scientists would call it, the atmosphere. It extends about 20 miles (32 kilometers) above the Earth. Floating around the atmosphere is a mixture of molecules – tiny bits of air so small you take in …
Why does everything look flat even though the Earth is round?
“Why does everything look flat even though the Earth is round?” — Zayden, age 11, Corona, California Ever since the ancient Greeks first made observations of the circular Moon and the skies, scientists have known that the Earth is a sphere. We’ve all seen beautiful images of the Earth from space, some photographed by astronauts …
Why does time change when traveling close to the speed of light?
“Why does time change when traveling close to the speed of light?” — Timothy, age 11, Shoreview, Minnesota Imagine you’re in a car driving across the country watching the landscape. A tree in the distance gets closer to your car, passes right by you, then moves off again in the distance behind you. Of course, …
In what order did the planets in our solar system form?
“Are planets in the solar system that are closer to the Sun older than the ones further away?” — Gavriel, age 10, Paducah, Kentucky A cloud of collapsing gas created our Sun, the first thing to form in our solar system. This happened about 4½ billion years ago. Then the planets began to emerge, as …
Will the Earth last forever?
“Will the Earth last forever?” — Solomon, age 5, California Everything that has a beginning has an end. But the Earth will last for a very long time, and its end will come billions of years after anyone who is alive here now is gone. Before we talk about the future of our planet, let’s …
How many stars are there in the Universe?
“Exactly how many stars are in space?” — MeeSong, Brookline Massachusetts Look up at the sky on a clear night, and you’ll see thousands of stars – about 6,000 or so. But that’s only a tiny fraction of all the stars out there. The rest are too far away for us to see them. The …