How long is a light-year?

Monday, May 12th, 2008

You might be surprised to know that a light-year is just one normal Earth year long (a Julian year of 365.25 days)! Confused? Think of it this way, a light-year isn’t a measure of time, but a measure distance within a certain amount of time (a year).
If you’ve kept up with all my other posts on space, you’ll know […]

What is the speed of light?

Saturday, May 10th, 2008

After years of “close” estimates, the speed of light was nailed down to 299,792.458 kilometers per second or 186,282.397 miles per second in 1983. Previous estimates came surprisingly close to the mark given how difficult it must be to put a limit on something as fast as light. We also know that the speed of […]

What is the Fastest LAND Animal in the World?

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

Here’s where you get your Cheetah. This graceful cat is perfectly designed to do two things exceptionally well; sneak and run. It has been clocked at speeds upwards of 70-75 mph! More remarkably, this animal can hit 0-68 in around 3 seconds, leaving a sports car in its dust. It has an aerodynamically small head […]

What is the Fastest Animal in the World?

Friday, April 11th, 2008

Ask this question of most folks and they immediately think of the cheetah. Not even close. The fastest animal is actually a bird, the Peregrine Falcon! While its cruising speed of 40-70 mph is impressive enough, the raptor’s diving (stooping) speed reaches a staggering 99 to 273 mph!
Modern city residents may be even more familiar […]