The law of universal gravitation, which was formulated by Newton, states that all objects are attracted to each other. The greater the mass, the greater the force of attraction. Due to the force of gravity, we have a dense atmosphere, since the earth attracts the atoms of the gases that make up the air. Weight disappears when the body is not affected by gravity, or when it is in free fall. Under normal conditions, a person can feel himself in zero gravity in an airplane, which dives to the ground at a certain speed. Astronauts train in such short-term weightlessness, a dive plane is also sometimes used as an attraction for people who at least feel like astronauts. We present interesting facts about weightlessness.

On board the spaceship

1. You can move objects that normally weigh a lot.
2. Astronauts sleep in special sleeping bags attached to the wall.
3. In the spaceship, all items are fixed.
4. The force of surface tension makes a ball out of any volume of liquid. Liquid cannot be poured into a cup; you cannot wash your hands in the usual way.
5. The candle will not burn for a long time, it will quickly go out. Under terrestrial conditions, the air in which oxygen is burned rises, making room for air saturated with oxygen. Under weightless conditions, the oxygen around the candle burns out and the flame gradually dies out.
6. A spaceship needs a fan to move the air around. If an astronaut does not move, for example, sleeps, carbon dioxide accumulates around him, which, under terrestrial conditions, descends to the earth, and oxygen-saturated air takes its place. So if the air in the spacecraft is not artificially mixed, it will be difficult for the astronauts to breathe.
7. Under weightless conditions, it is possible to obtain chemicals and materials that cannot be obtained on earth. An obstacle to the experiments of physicists and chemists in weightlessness is the high cost of delivering cargo to the earth's orbit.
8. On board the spacecraft, phenomena were discovered that would be difficult to imagine under terrestrial conditions, for example, the "Dzhanibekov effect" - an object that rotates, after certain periods of time, changes the axis of rotation by 180 degrees.

Human

It takes some time to adapt to the conditions of weightlessness. Astronauts who have spent some time in orbit adapt well to unusual conditions, when objects move in a completely different way than on Earth. But newcomers who have fallen into earth orbit cannot cope with ordinary everyday problems for some time (it is difficult for them to drink, eat, wash). But this is not so much a problem as an occasion to have fun, because flying on a spaceship is not only daily difficulties, but also a fun attraction. The effect of weightlessness on humans:

• loss of orientation in space, the head is spinning, this is due to the fact that the vestibular apparatus cannot quickly adapt to new conditions;
• the body cannot normally distribute the liquid in the body, the face may swell;
• due to the absence of a vertical load on the spine, a person’s height increases from three to five centimeters;
• the spacecraft flies around the Earth very quickly, so the Sun rises and sets 16 times a day, this can be reflected in the state of the body, which is used to the usual change of day and night;
• since the liquid turns into balls that hang in the air, washing is done by wiping with wet wipes;
• salt and pepper are liquid, as ordinary seasonings are scattered throughout the spacecraft;
• during a long stay in space, muscles weaken and can atrophy, bones weaken, therefore astronauts must train daily, special elastic bands are sewn into their clothes, which force the astronauts to exert effort when moving.

We get the initial idea of ​​gravity at school. There we are usually told that there is such an amazing force that keeps everyone on Earth, and only thanks to it we do not fly into outer space and do not walk upside down. This is where the fun practically ends, because at school we are told only the most basic and simple things. In reality, there is a lot of controversy about gravity, scientists offer new theories and ideas, and there are many more nuances than you can imagine. In this collection, you will find some very interesting facts and theories about the gravitational effect, which are either not included in the school curriculum, or they became known not so long ago.

10 Gravity Is A Theory, Not A Proven Law
There is a myth that gravity is a law. If you try to do online research on this topic, any search engine will give you a lot of links about Newton's Law of Gravity. However, in the scientific community, laws and theories are completely different concepts. A scientific law is an irrefutable fact, based on confirmed data, which clearly explains the essence of the phenomena that occur. A theory, in turn, is a kind of idea with which researchers try to explain certain phenomena.

If we describe the gravitational interaction through scientific terms, it immediately becomes completely clear to a relatively literate person why universal gravitation is considered in a theoretical plane, and not as a law. Since scientists still do not have the ability to study the gravitational forces of every planet, satellite, star, asteroid and atom in the universe, we have no right to recognize universal gravity as a law.

The robotic Voyager 1 probe made a 21 billion-kilometer journey, but even so far from Earth, it barely left our planetary system. The flight lasted 40 years and 4 months, and during all this time the researchers received not so much data to transfer thoughts about gravity from the theoretical field to the category of laws. Our universe is too big, and we still know too little...

9. There are many gaps in the theory of gravity

We have already found out that universal gravitation is just a theoretical concept. Moreover, in this theory, it turns out, there are still many gaps that clearly indicate its relative inferiority. Many inconsistencies have been noted not just within our solar system, but even here on Earth.

For example, according to the theory of universal gravitation on the Moon, the gravitational force of the Sun should be felt much stronger than the attraction of the Earth. It turns out that the Moon should revolve around the Sun, and not around our planet. But we know that the Moon is precisely our satellite, and sometimes it’s enough just to raise our eyes to the night sky.

At school, we were told about Isaac Newton, who had a fateful apple fall on his head, which inspired him to the idea of ​​the theory of universal gravitation. Even Newton himself admitted that his theory had certain flaws. At one time, it was Newton who became the author of a new mathematical concept - fluxions (derivatives), which helped him in the formation of the very theory of gravity. Fluxions may sound unfamiliar to you, but in the end they have firmly entered the world of exact sciences.

Today, in mathematical analysis, the method of differential calculus is often used, based precisely on the ideas of Newton and his colleague Leibniz. However, this branch of mathematics is also rather incomplete and not without its flaws.

8. Gravitational waves

Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity was proposed in 1915. Around the same time, the hypothesis of gravitational waves appeared. Until 1974, the existence of these waves remained purely theoretical.

Gravitational waves can be compared to ripples on the canvas of the space-time continuum, which appears as a result of large-scale events in the Universe. Such events could be the collision of black holes, changes in the rotational speed of a neutron star, or a supernova explosion. When something like this happens, gravitational waves propagate along the space-time continuum, like ripples in water from a stone that has fallen into it. These waves travel through the universe at the speed of light. We do not observe catastrophic events so often, so it takes us many years to detect gravitational waves. That is why it took scientists more than 60 years to prove their existence.

For almost 40 years, scientists have been studying the first evidence of the existence of gravitational waves. As it turned out, these ripples arise in the process of merging a binary system of very dense and heavy gravitationally bound stars rotating around a common center of mass. Over time, the components of a binary star approach each other, and their speed gradually decreases, as was predicted by Einstein in his theory. The magnitude of gravitational waves is so small that in 2017 they were even awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their experimental detection.

7. Black holes and gravity

Black holes are one of the biggest mysteries in the universe. They appear during the gravitational collapse of a large enough star that goes supernova. When a supernova occurs, a significant mass of stellar matter is ejected into outer space. What is happening can provoke the formation of a space-time region in space, in which the gravitational field becomes so strong that even light quanta are not able to leave this place (this black hole). Black holes are not formed by gravity per se, but it still plays a key role in observing and studying these regions.

It is the gravity of black holes that helps scientists detect them in the universe. Because gravitational pull can be incredibly powerful, researchers can sometimes see its effect on other stars or on the gases surrounding these regions. When a black hole sucks in gases, a so-called accretion disk is formed, in which matter accelerates to such high speeds that when heated, it begins to produce the strongest radiation. This glow can also be detected in the x-ray range. It is thanks to the accretion phenomenon that we were able to prove the existence of black holes (with the help of special telescopes). It turns out that if it weren't for gravity, we wouldn't even know about the existence of black holes.

6. Theory of black matter and black energy

Approximately 68% of the Universe consists of dark energy, and 27% is reserved for dark matter. In theory. Despite the fact that so much space has been allocated in our world of dark matter and dark energy, we know very little about them.

We presumably know that dark energy has a range of properties. For example, guided by the same Einstein's theory of gravity, scientists have suggested that dark energy is constantly expanding. By the way, initially scientists believed that Einstein's theory would help them prove that over time, gravitational influence slows down the expansion of the Universe. However, in 1998, data obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (Hubble), gave reason to believe that the universe is expanding only at an increasing rate. At the same time, scientists came to the conclusion that the theory of gravity is not able to explain the fundamental phenomena occurring in our Universe. This is how the hypothesis about the existence of dark energy and dark matter appeared, designed to justify the acceleration of the expansion of the Universe.

5. Gravitons

In school we are taught that gravity is a force. But it could be something more... It is possible that gravity in the future will be considered as a manifestation of a particle called graviton.

Hypothetically, gravitons are massless elementary particles that emit a gravitational field. To date, physicists have not yet proven the existence of these particles, but they already have many theories about why these gravitons must exist. One of these theories says that gravity is the only force (of the 4 fundamental forces of nature or interactions) that has not yet been associated with any elementary particle or any structural unit.

Perhaps gravitons exist, but recognizing them is incredibly difficult. Physicists suggest that gravitational waves are made up of just these elusive particles. To identify gravitational waves, the researchers conducted many experiments, in one of which they used mirrors and lasers. The interferometric detector helps detect the displacement of mirrors even at the most microscopic distances, but, unfortunately, this does not allow one to detect changes associated with such tiny particles as gravitons. In theory, for such an experiment, scientists would need mirrors so heavy that when they collapse, black holes could appear.

In general, it is not possible to detect or prove the existence of gravitons in the near future. So far, physicists are observing the Universe and hoping that it is there that they will find answers to their questions and be able to detect manifestations of gravitons somewhere outside the ground laboratories.

4. Theory of wormholes

Wormholes, wormholes or wormholes are another great mystery of the universe. It would be cool to get into some kind of space tunnel and travel at the speed of light to get to another galaxy in the shortest possible time. These fantasies have been used more than once in science fiction thrillers. If there really are wormholes in the universe, such jumps may be quite possible. At the moment, scientists do not have any evidence of the existence of wormholes, but some physicists believe that these hypothetical tunnels can be created using gravity manipulation.

Einstein's general theory of relativity allows for the possibility of mind-boggling molehills. Taking into account the works of the legendary scientist, another physicist, Ludwig Flamm, tried to describe how the force of gravity could distort time space in such a way that a new tunnel was formed in it, a bridge between one area of ​​the fabric of physical reality and another. Of course, there are other theories.

3. The planets also have a gravitational influence on the Sun

We already know that the gravitational field of the Sun affects all objects in our planetary system, and that is why they all revolve around our only star. By the same principle, the Earth is connected with the Moon, and that is why the Moon revolves around our home planet.

However, each planet and any other celestial body with sufficient mass in our solar system also has its own gravitational fields that affect the Sun, other planets and all other space objects. The magnitude of the exerted force of attraction depends on the mass of the object and the distance between the celestial bodies.

In our solar system, it is due to the gravitational interaction that all objects rotate in their given orbits. The strongest gravitational attraction, of course, is with the Sun. By and large, all celestial bodies with sufficient mass have their own gravitational field and affect other objects with significant mass, even if they are at a distance of several light years.

2. Microgravity

We have all seen more than once photographs of astronauts hovering around orbital stations or even going beyond the ships in special protective suits. You are probably used to thinking that these scientists are usually somersaulting in space, not feeling any attraction, because it is not there. And you would be very wrong if so. There is gravity in space too. It is customary to call it microgravity, because it is almost imperceptible. It is thanks to microgravity that astronauts feel light as a feather, and so freely soar in space. If there were no gravity at all, the planets would simply not revolve around the Sun, and the Moon would have left the Earth's orbit long ago.

The farther an object is from the center of gravity, the weaker the force of gravity. It is microgravity that acts on the ISS, because all objects there are much further from the Earth's gravitational field than at least you are right here right now. Gravity weakens on other levels as well. For example, take one single atom. This is such a tiny particle of matter that a rather modest gravitational force also acts in its case. As atoms combine into groups, this force, of course, grows.

1. Time travel

The idea of ​​time travel has fascinated mankind for quite some time. Many theories, including the theory of gravity, give hope that such travel will actually one day become possible. According to one of the concepts, gravity forms a kind of bend in the space-time continuum, which makes all objects in the Universe move along a curved path. As a result, objects in space move slightly faster than objects on Earth. To be more precise, here's an example for you - the clocks on space satellites are every day ahead of your home alarm clocks by 38 microseconds (0.000038 seconds).

Since objects move faster in space due to gravity than on Earth, astronauts can actually be considered time travelers at the same time. However, this trip is so insignificant that upon returning home, neither the astronauts nor their relatives notice any fundamental difference. But this does not negate one very interesting question - is it possible to use gravitational influence for time travel, as shown in science fiction films?

The force of gravity is an integral part of our life, although we perceive it as something ordinary. I. Newton, thanks to an apple that fell on his head, developed this theory, but gravity is something more.
Before Newton, scientists such as Kepler, Descartes, Epicurus and others also philosophized about the existence of such a force. But, by and large, they believed that there are two attractions: heavenly (in space) and earthly (on the surface of the planet). Isaac Newton went a little further, he connected these two concepts. In addition, the legend that he was walking in the garden and an apple fell on him is actually fiction and just a beautiful story.

Gravity is the force of attraction between objects in proportion to their mass. Obi-Wan Kenobi mentioned in the world-famous movie that “the power is around us and penetrates us. She holds the galaxy together." However, if good and evil act according to the dual principle, then the force of attraction only attracts objects to each other, but does not repel them. Gravity is around us. This is the force that keeps the planet in the shape of a sphere, it does not allow us to break away from the surface. Gravity also holds our atmosphere around it and prevents it from floating in space. Below are some interesting facts about the force of gravity.

Many believe that astronauts on the space station and fans of extreme entertainment at speed experience "zero" gravity, i.e. for some time they are not subject to gravity at all. In fact, this is a fundamentally wrong statement, because. they tend to descend at the same speed as the object in which they are located.

The force of gravity acts equally on all objects, regardless of their weight. For example, if two cinder blocks of the same parameters, but different in weight, are dropped from a height, they will touch the surface of the earth together. The additional speed of an object that is lighter in mass is offset by the inertia of a heavier object.

It turns out that the greater the weight of the cosmic body, the heavier the objects on it. This means that the same person who weighs fifty kilograms on our planet would weigh twice as much on Saturn.
The force of gravity on a planet is determined by its size. For example, on Mars, the force of gravity is much less than on our planet. This fact negatively affects the human body, so a person cannot stay on this planet for a long time.
Jupiter is neither a planet nor a star. It has enough gravitational force to gain the necessary weight and become a full-fledged star, a heavenly body, but its field is too weak and cannot start the process of transforming the planet.

Interesting fact! In the absence of the force of gravity, i.e. in a state of weightlessness, all liquids take the form of a ball. You will not be able to wash your hands or pour water from vessel to vessel. Therefore, in order to feel comfortable in space, astronauts get used to it for a long time. Even sleep is unusual for them, because. they sleep in bags that are attached to the walls of the ship. In addition, astronauts have a harder time sleeping, because the phases of sleep and wakefulness of a person depend on sunsets and sunrises, and in space only 90 minutes pass between these two processes, i.e. There are 8 cycles per day.

Many people think that there is no gravitational force in space. Actually this is a false statement. The force of gravity is almost everywhere, but it acts with different strengths. As you know, the gravitational force between 2 bodies is inversely proportional to the distance between them and proportional to the product of their weight. Due to the fact that the earth's radius is slightly less than the height of the orbit of the international space station (by about 10 percent), therefore, the force of attraction there is less and tends to zero.

The flame in the absence of gravity also behaves differently than we are used to. This is because on Earth, during combustion, air saturated with carbon dioxide rises, while making room for oxygen to enter. Under weightlessness, there is no such air change, so over time, all the oxygen around the fire burns out, and the combustion process stops. Due to the lack of air convection in space, not only the flame suffers, but also the person, because during his immobility, oxygen also does not circulate around and ends. For such situations, spacecraft compartments are provided with fans for artificial air circulation.

According to the theory of scientists, it is the force of gravity that plays a role in determining the height of mountains on Earth. Thus, for our planet, the maximum height of the mountains will be a distance of no more than 15 kilometers. For example, if the Sun were to become a neural luminary, then its powerful gravity would not allow such a phenomenon as mountains to appear, in principle.

It turns out that the force of gravity in the center of the Earth would act on objects (if it were possible to place them there) differently than on the surface of the planet. In the core of the planet, objects would be pulled simultaneously on all four sides, which, in principle, is similar to the situation in a state of weightlessness.

Gravity affects not only objects, but also affects many calculations and factors. It turns out that its potential has a significant impact on the timing. Relatively recently, physicists from Denmark proved that the center of our planet is younger than its surface. The lower the gravity, the slower the time. According to hypothetical measurements, the age of the core and crust of celestial bodies differ significantly from each other in favor of their center.

We all know, and have previously mentioned that the presence of force itself on Earth was discovered by the scientist Newton in the 17th century. But few people know that in fact he described only a part of this force. For many years, scientists have tried to refine this theory. Another well-known genius stated that the force of gravity is just a curvature of time-space created by the mass of this object. That scientist was Einstein, and it wasn't until the 20th century that he got closer to unraveling this phenomenon. But in fact, gravity holds many more mysteries that are beyond our control at the moment and in the future have yet to be unraveled.

When it comes to gravity, we involuntarily return to the memories of elementary school, where we first learned about this unusual force. We were told that it is she who keeps us on Earth, but this is not her only function.

Today we have collected 10 interesting facts about the force of gravity.

Interestingly, gravity is just a theory, not a law.

This probe has been exploring the Universe since 1977

Gravity has nothing to do with scientific laws. If you enter the word “gravity” into any search engine, you will see countless articles about the law of gravity. In fact, the concepts of "law" and "theory" in the scientific world have significant differences. The law is based on certain data from the results of actual research. A theory is an idea that explains the existence of a particular phenomenon. Understanding these concepts, it becomes clear why gravity cannot be called a law. At the moment, scientists cannot measure its impact on every celestial body. Voyager 1 (an automatic probe that explores the solar system and its environs) explored the solar system at a distance of about 21 billion km from the Earth and even briefly went beyond it. Voyager 1 has been "on a business trip" for 40 years, but the universe is too huge to explore it thoroughly.

There are gaps in the theory of gravity - and this is a fact!

Any theory is imperfect, the theory of gravity is no exception.

The theory of gravity is not perfect, but some of its gaps are invisible from Earth. For example, according to the theory, the gravitational force of the Sun should be stronger on the Moon than on the Earth, but then the Moon would revolve around the Sun, and not around the Earth. By observing the movement of the Moon in the night sky, we can absolutely determine that it revolves around the Earth. At school we were also told about Isaac Newton, who discovered gaps in the theory of gravity. He also introduced the new mathematical term "fluxion", from which he later developed the theory of gravity. The concept of "fluxion" may seem unfamiliar, today it is called "function". One way or another, we all learn functions in school, but they are not without flaws. Therefore, it is likely that in Newton's "proofs" of the theory of gravity, too, not everything is so smooth.

gravity waves

For more than half a century, scientists have been looking for confirmation of the existence of gravitational waves.

Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, also known as the theory of gravity, was introduced in 1915. Around the same time, the concept of gravity waves appeared, the existence of which was proved only in 1974. Gravity waves are vibrations in the space-time continuum resulting from the movement of masses in the universe due to the collision of black holes, the rotation of neutron stars, or the occurrence of supernovae. When any of these events occur, gravitational waves form ripples, similar to circles in the water from a stone thrown on the surface of the water. These waves travel through the universe at the speed of light, which is why it took almost 60 years to prove the existence of gravitational waves. For the first 40 years, scientists observed waves from two stars that began to revolve around each other under the influence of gravity. Over time, the stars became closer and closer to each other in accordance with the miscalculations according to Einstein's theory. This was the proof of the existence of gravitational waves.

Black holes and gravity

Black holes could not exist without gravity

Black holes are one of the most mysterious phenomena in the Universe. They are formed when a star self-destructs and a new one is born, which throws parts of the old one to a fairly large distance, thus creating a place where gravity is so strong that not a single object that has fallen into it can come back. Gravity itself does not form a black hole, but helps scientists understand the essence of black holes and detect them in the universe. Since the gravitational force around the black hole is very strong, a lot of stars and gases gather around it, which helps to detect the black hole. Sometimes the gases around a black hole glow, forming a halo. If not for the super-powerful gravity in black holes, we would never have known about their existence.

Theory of dark matter and dark energy

Scientists believe that the universe consists of dark matter and is expanding due to dark energy

Approximately 68% of the Universe is made up of dark energy and 27% of dark matter. But neither dark energy nor matter have been studied in depth. However, we know that dark energy has many properties. Einstein's theory of relativity was instrumental in understanding dark energy and its ability to expand and create more space. Initially, scientists assumed that gravity was holding back the expansion of the universe, but in 1998, using the Hubble Space Telescope, it was possible to establish that the universe is expanding more and more. Thanks to this fact, it became clear that the theory of relativity cannot explain what is happening in the universe. Scientists have suggested the existence of dark matter and dark energy, thanks to which the Universe continues to grow.

Gravitons

Scientists suggest that there is a unit of gravity

All we are taught in school is that gravity is a force of attraction, but is it? If we imagine gravity itself as a particle and call it a graviton (or a quantum of the gravitational field), then it turns out that the force of attraction is formed by gravitons. True, physicists have not been able to confirm the existence of these particles, but there are many reasons why they should exist. The first reason is that gravity is just a force (one of the four basic natural forces), and its main element cannot be determined. Even if gravitons exist, it is very difficult to determine them. Physicists purely theoretically assume that gravitational waves consist of gravitons. It is quite easy to detect gravitational waves, it is enough to create a reflection of light rays in mirrors and see their splitting. But such a method is not suitable for determining the change in the distance between gravitons.

Formation of wormholes

With the help of wormholes, travel to neighboring galaxies could become a reality

Wormholes (space-time tunnels in a hypothetical model of the universe) are truly an amazing phenomenon. What if it were possible to zip through a space tunnel at the speed of light and end up in another galaxy? If wormholes exist, then this is quite possible. To date, there is no confirmation of the existence of such tunnels, but physicists are seriously considering their creation. Using Einstein's theory of relativity, physicist Ludwig Flamm described how much gravity can warp time and space in order to create a wormhole. Of course, this is not the only theory of the emergence of such tunnels.

The planets also attract the sun

The planets also have an attractive force

Everyone knows that the force of gravity of the Sun affects the planets of our solar system, which is why they revolve around it. In the same way, the Earth pulls on the Moon. However, every celestial body that has a mass also acts on the Sun with an attractive force, the power of which depends on the mass of objects and the distance between them. And since the Sun has the strongest gravity in our Galaxy, all the planets revolve around it.

Weightlessness

It turns out that gravity also works in space.

We've all seen photos and heard stories about how there's no gravity in space, so astronauts can fly in zero gravity. Nevertheless, there is still gravity in space, but it is so small that it is even called microgravity. It is thanks to her that it seems that the astronauts are floating in the air. If there was no gravity at all in space, then the planets could not revolve around the Sun, and the Moon around the Earth, just the greater the distance, the more the force of attraction weakens.

Time travel

In space, time passes differently than on Earth.

The ability to travel in time has always been of great concern to mankind. Many theories, including the theory of gravity, can explain the possibility of time travel. The force of gravity creates a warp in time and space that causes objects to move in a spiral, causing these objects to move faster than on the surface of the Earth. For example, the clocks on space artificial satellites move only 38 microseconds a day because gravity in space causes objects to move faster than on Earth. For this reason, any astronaut returning from orbit can be considered a time traveler, just the effect is not strong enough for them to feel it. The main question remains the possibility of time travel, which we saw in the movies, but there are no answers yet.

Look today at the night sky, at this boundless and so little-studied world by man. Our Universe is huge, and who knows what other secrets it holds. Wait and see.

The science

Here on Earth, we take gravity for granted. However, the force of gravity, by which objects are attracted to each other in proportion to their mass, is much greater than an apple falling on Newton's head. Below are the strangest facts about this universal power.

It's all in our head

The force of attraction is a constant and consistent phenomenon, but our perception of this force is not. According to a study published in April 2011 in the journal PLoS ONE, a person is able to make a more accurate judgment of falling objects while sitting.

The researchers concluded that our perception of gravity is based less on the actual visual direction of the force and more on the "orientation" of the body.

The findings could lead to a new strategy to help astronauts deal with microgravity in space.

Rigid descent to the ground

The experience of astronauts has shown that the transition from the state of weightlessness and back can be very difficult for the human body. In the absence of gravity, the muscles begin to atrophy, while the bones also begin to lose bone mass. Astronauts can lose up to 1 percent of their bone mass per month, according to NASA.

Upon returning to earth, the bodies and minds of the astronauts need a certain period of time in order to recover. Blood pressure, which in space becomes the same throughout the body, should return to normal functioning, in which the heart works well and the brain receives enough food.

Sometimes the restructuring of the body has an extremely hard effect on astronauts, both physically (repeated fainting, etc.) and emotionally. For example, one astronaut told how, upon returning from space, he broke a bottle of aftershave at home, because he forgot that if he released it into the air, it would fall and break, and not float in it.

To lose weight, "try Pluto"

On this dwarf planet, a person weighing 68 kilograms would weigh no more than 4.5 kilograms.

However, on the other hand, on the planet with the highest level of gravity, Jupiter, the same person would weigh about 160.5 kg.

A person on Mars will certainly feel like a feather as well, since the force of gravity on this planet is only 38 percent of that on earth, that is, a 68-kilogram person will feel how easy his walk is, since he will weigh only 26 kg.

different gravity

Even on earth, gravity is not the same everywhere. Because the shape of the globe is not a perfect sphere, its mass is unevenly distributed. Therefore, uneven mass means uneven gravity.

One mysterious gravitational anomaly is observed in Hudson Bay in Canada. In this region, the force of gravity is lower than in others, and a 2007 study identified the cause - the melting of glaciers.

The ice that once covered this area during the last ice age has long since melted, but the Earth has not completely rid itself of this burden. Since the force of gravity of an area is proportional to the mass of this region, and the "glacial footprint" has pushed back some of the mass of the earth, gravity has become weaker here. Slight deformation of the crust explains 25-45 percent of the unusually low gravitational force, among other things, this is also "blamed" on the movement of magma in the Earth's mantle.

Without gravity, some viruses would be stronger

Bad news for space cadets: Some bacteria become unbearable in space.

In the absence of gravity, bacteria change the activity of at least 167 genes and 73 proteins.

Mice that ate food with such salmonella became ill much faster.

In other words, the danger of infection does not necessarily come from outer space; it is more likely that our own bacteria are gaining strength to attack.

Black holes at the center of the galaxy

So named because nothing, not even light, can escape their attraction, black holes are among the most destructive objects in the universe. At the center of our galaxy is a massive black hole with a mass of 3 million suns. Sounds intimidating, doesn't it? However, according to experts at Kyoto University, this black hole is currently "just resting."

In fact, a black hole is not dangerous for us, earthlings, because it is very far away and behaves extremely calmly. However, in 2008 it was reported that about 300 years ago this hole was sending bursts of energy. In another study published in 2007, it was found that several thousand years ago, a "galactic hiccup" sent a small amount of matter the size of Mercury into this very hole, which led to a powerful explosion.

This black hole, named Sagittarius A*, has relatively fuzzy shapes compared to other black holes. "This weakness means that stars and gas rarely approach a black hole at an unsafe distance," says Frederick Baganoff, a research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "There is a huge appetite, but it is not satisfied."