Space and the wonders of the universe

Facts from science.

Right now, in this very moment, we are all traveling through space — and space is only some 62 miles from the surface of our planet. Earth revolves around the sun at around 66,000 miles per hour. That’s pretty quick, but it pales in comparison to the speed of the sun, which orbits the Milky Way in one galactic year (about 225 million Earth years) at about 483,000 miles per hour. Still not fast enough? Well, the Milky Way itself is traveling at an astounding 1.3 million miles per hour.

We are all, therefore, traveling through space at an incredible speed, with everything we know and love held in place by gravity. Space and the wider universe, however, largely remain a mystery. Only in recent decades have we even begun to venture beyond our own atmosphere, beginning in 1961 when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.


Since then, space exploration has progressed rapidly, and humanity becoming a space-faring civilization — at least to other planets in our solar system — is now a real possibility. As Carl Sagan said in the 1980s, “We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars.”

The concept is mind-boggling and majestic, intimidating and inspiring. It’s no surprise, then, that space has long been the subject of much wonder and speculation in the minds of people from all walks of life. Here are some quotes on the majesty of space, from philosophers, scientists, science fiction writers, astronauts, and beyond. astounding 1.3 million miles per hour.