NASA Explores
Science Facts Written by NASA Explores
Sonic Boom
They sound like thunder, but they're not. They're sonic booms, concentrated blasts of sound waves created as vehicles travel faster than the speed of sound. To understand how the booms are created, ... Continue reading
Zeolites: The Secret Ingredient
The next time you notice that your cat's litter box doesn't smell bad, you can thank NASA astronauts. You can also thank them when you see lush green golf courses, or when you use air fresheners and ... Continue reading
The Sound of Turbulence
Do you ever watch the water tornado that forms in a draining bathtub? Woe unto any rubber ducky floating aimlessly in the vicinity; the water's force will pull it down into the tornado. The center of ... Continue reading
Nothing Backwards About It
Almost anyone who's seen a picture of the experimental X-29 aircraft will remember it. Its unique wings make it one of the most distinctive aircraft designs ever. Rather than sticking straight out or ... Continue reading
High Altitude
Have you ever read the directions on a box of cake mix? There are special instructions for high-altitude baking. Has anyone who visited the Rocky Mountains told you how hard it was to breathe there? ... Continue reading
Turning Oil Into Gas
When you see all those cars at the gas station filling up with unleaded, you may not stop to think about how that gasoline got there. It wasn't pumped out of the ground in that form. The same goes for ... Continue reading
The Wright Sister
When you think of airplanes, you may think of Wilbur and Orville Wright. Their early experiments led to the first manned airplane flight 100 years ago. There's another member of the Wright family, ... Continue reading
