Space
Venus takes longer to rotate once than to orbit the Sun.
Venus rotates once in about 243 Earth days, while one Venusian orbit takes about 225 Earth days. A sunrise-to-sunset cycle on Venus lasts about 117 Earth days.
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Read today’s fact ↗TODAY’S FACT Tuesday, October 27 · UTC
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Science#021
Ice floats because its molecular lattice spreads molecules farther apart.
The USGS explains that ice molecules align in a regular lattice, leaving them more spread out than in liquid water and making ice less dense.
U.S. Geological SurveyRead fact ↗
Science#020
Ice is about nine percent less dense than liquid water.
The USGS says freezing decreases water’s density by about 9 percent, which makes ice less dense than liquid water and causes it to float.
U.S. Geological SurveyRead fact ↗
Science#017
Lightning can heat air to about 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The National Weather Service says lightning can heat the air it passes through to 50,000°F, about five times hotter than the Sun’s surface.
National Weather ServiceRead fact ↗
Science#015
Ocean temperature and pressure shape sound travel.
NOAA explains that water temperature and pressure affect sound speed and distance, and that sound refracts downward and upward around the ocean thermocline.
NOAA National Ocean ServiceRead fact ↗
Science#014
Sound travels faster in water than in air.
NOAA lists approximate sound speeds of 1,500 meters per second in water and 340 meters per second in air.
NOAA National Ocean ServiceRead fact ↗
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