Every year, on the first Friday of May, space lovers and science enthusiasts come together to celebrate National Space Day! 🌌
Are you curious about what’s out there?
Knowing that there are endless wonders in outer space just waiting for us to discover them, every year brings new reasons and ways to celebrate…
The Guinness World Records way, of course, is to revisit some of the coolest space-related records so far. 😎
First men on the Moon
55 years ago, on 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men on the Moon!
After a long trip that took 4 days and lots of careful moves, the 2 astronauts landed their spaceship, called Eagle, on the Moon.
The live feed of them walking on its surface got watched by what was, at the time, the largest TV audience ever – and that was around 1 in 5 people in the ENTIRE WORLD! 🌝
Pretty iconic, right?
Youngest person to discover a comet
But grown-up, expert astronauts are not the only ones who can set a space world record…
In fact, Rafał Biros from Poland was just 12 years and 199 days old when he became the youngest person to discover a comet! ☄️
In case you have similar aspirations to Rafał, here’s how he did it:
“I got interested in astronomy in kindergarten. I got back to it in 2020 […] during the COVID lockdown. That’s when I started looking for comets.
“When I reported the object, I was 99% sure it was a comet. I waited anxiously for the confirmation of my first discovery. When it was actually confirmed, I was shocked that I did it!
“The comet was named SOHO-4094.
“I got to know the whole project thanks to my uncle Szymon, who is also a comet discoverer. He was the one who taught me how to hunt comets!”
Read Rafał’s full story and find out how YOU can ‘find’ a comet, here.
First controlled flight on Mars
NASA's Mars tiny helicopter called Ingenuity achieved the first controlled flight on Mars in 2021, when it flew for 39.1 seconds at a height of 3 metres (9.8 ft)!
A year later, Ingenuity made a strong comeback and set the record for the farthest flight on Mars, when it travelled for a full 704 metres (2,309 ft).
Keep in mind that Martian ‘air’ is super difficult to fly in due to the planet’s extra thin atmosphere…
It is somewhat like blowing on a feather, trying to keep it up for as long as possible! 🪶
Oldest woman in space
It is NEVER too late to follow your dreams - Wally Funk is living proof of that!
As a woman living in the 1960s and ‘70s, it was difficult for Wally to become an astronaut – however, at the age of 82 years 169 days, she made it!
Not only that, but she also broke a world record by becoming the oldest woman in space. 🚀
Wally’s promise? “I’ll be flying ‘til I die.”
Get inspired by reading her full story here.
What is YOUR dream?
Cool space facts
Here are some fun facts to share with your friends:
- Space is silent: since there is no air to carry sound, it's really quiet up there!
- A day on Venus is longer than a year on Earth: can you imagine a day at school lasting a WHOLE year?!
- Shooting stars are actually meteors: when you see those streaks of light in the sky, they are not stars but meteors – basically just bits of rock burning up in space.
- Mercury is the closest planet to the sun: it has extreme temperatures – let’s just say that even the best sunscreen won’t help you up there!
- The Great Wall of China is visible: Astronauts can see the Great Wall of China from space!
How much do you know about space? This QUIZ will separate the astronauts from the astro-nots!
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