Space & Astronomy
Exploring "Why" questions about Space & Astronomy
478 articles
Why are calculators the only common solar powered gadgets?
A small solar panel isn't the most efficient or reliable energy source, so for a portable device to be able to be solar powered, it has to consume very little power and suffer no ill effects if the so
Why did people build cities along earthquake fault lines?
Most of the fault lines are near or run along the coastlines. People liked building cities on the coastlines because of the water access was necessary for transport and travel. All of New Zealand pret
Why do mobile “map” apps require data or internet connection to be used in addition to location services, when separate navigation devices need only connect to a satellite?
Stand alone navigational devices that use GPS only need the GPS signal because they have the maps stored inside the device. Map applications need the network connection to load the map data from the i
Why can’t fighter jets reach outer space just like normal spaceships do?
Spaceships carry both fuel and oxidizer with them, whereas jets carry fuel only and use the atmosphere to provide the oxidizer. As the jets fly higher up, the atmosphere get's thinner, meaning there i
Why hasn’t colonizing mars been really considered
The difference is that America could be survived at by a handful of uneducated city dwellers who had assistance from natives. In mars the average person couldn't survive, there's no local food, no use
Why are we trying to colonize Mars?
Because as Heinlein said: > The Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for the human race to keep all its eggs in. or as Randall Munroe observed: > The universe is probably littered with
Why are astronauts strapped into the shuttle 3 hours before take off?
There are no shuttles any more, so I assume you are going to talk about the upcoming russian soyuz launch to the ISS They sit there for three hours because thats how long it takes to fuel the rocket.
Why do we like things we don’t have but once we have them they start losing their worth?
Typically, it comes down to your perception of the items value. What can it do for me? You convince yourself that it will benefit you to have it and it will, in some way, make life easier or more enjo
Why does Apple iOS8 require 5.8 GB of space to be downloaded?
Because the entire operating system must be downloaded before implemented. If it wasnt there would be no os to finish the download. Once the download is complete the os writes and is no longer taking
Why is it so important to study Mars?
its the closest planet so its the most similar to earth in terms of year cycle, day/night, and temperature (distance from sun). people think we will be able to live on mars eventually, which is a good