Did You Know?
Collect a treasure box of surprising facts — perfect for sharing with friends and family.
"Manjari," Leela says, "every stop of the journey taught me something amazing. Can you tell me even more?"
Manjari hops onto the windowsill. "I know a few surprises. Gather round — but I warn you, some of these may bend your mind a little!"
Facts About the Sun
Every journey through the Solar System starts with its beating heart. Here are two facts that put our star in perspective.
The Sun is so large that about 1.3 million Earths could fit inside it — yet it is only a medium-sized star. Some stars are so enormous that millions of Suns would fit inside them.
Sunlight takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach Earth. When you look at the Sun (never directly!), you are seeing it as it was over eight minutes ago.
Facts About the Planets
Each of the eight planets keeps a few secrets. These are some of the best.
A day on Venus is longer than its year! Venus spins so slowly that one rotation takes 243 Earth days — while its orbit around the Sun takes only 225.
Jupiter is so massive that it is more than twice as heavy as all the other planets combined — yet it spins faster than any planet, completing a day in under 10 hours.
Saturn would float in water if you found an ocean big enough. It is the least dense planet — lighter than water, ounce for ounce.
Mars has the tallest volcano in the Solar System — Olympus Mons — roughly three times the height of Mount Everest, and so wide it would cover the whole of France.
Facts About Moons and Beyond
The planets are only part of the story — their moons and the distant frontier have surprises of their own.
Our Moon drifts about 3.8 centimeters farther from Earth every year — about the speed your fingernails grow. In the far future, total solar eclipses will no longer be possible.
Jupiter's moon Ganymede is larger than the planet Mercury. And Europa, another of Jupiter's moons, hides a salty ocean beneath its icy shell.
The Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, is now over 24 billion kilometers from Earth — the farthest human-made object there is, carrying a golden record with sounds and pictures of our world.
A Few Favorites at a Glance
Jupiter — 1,300 Earths could fit inside
Mercury — 88 Earth days around the Sun
Neptune — 165 Earth years
Neptune's moon Triton — about -235 °C
Neptune — winds over 2,000 km per hour
Saturn — at least 146 known moons
Share One Fact
Which fact surprised you the most? Tell it to someone today — the best way to remember a fact is to share it.