Welcome back to Earth!
🚀 When the Orion capsule carrying the Artemis II astronauts came home, it traveled at 30 times the speed of sound (25,000 mph) and endured temperatures twice as hot as the Sun (10,000°C)!
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Here’s what we’ve got this week:
TRIVIA
How many moon walkers? 🌕
How many people have ever walked on the moon?
(Explanation at the end!)
ANIMAL FOCUS
Rabbit grudges? 🐰
Did you know that the biggest Continental Giant rabbit reached 4 feet long and weighed 50 pounds? Here are some more surprising rabbit facts:
Rabbits remember people! They can recognize faces, voices, and smells. Their short-term memory is only about 5 minutes, but they remember who’s gentle with them, who brings food, and they can even hold grudges. 🧠
They sleep with their eyes (partially) open! A third eyelid protects their eyes while they sleep, keeping them alert for danger! 👀
Their teeth never stop growing! Rabbit teeth grow 3-5 inches every year, so they need to constantly eat plants to wear their teeth down. Otherwise, their teeth can overgrow and cause infections. 🦷
They eat their poop! Rabbits produce two kinds of droppings: hard pellets and soft ones called cecotropes, which are packed with nutrients, vitamins, and gut bacteria. Rabbits eat these soft ones to get the most out of their food. 💩
Rabbits can see nearly 360 degrees! This helps them spot predators from nearly any direction, except for a blind spot right in front of their nose! This is why they rely on their whiskers and smell when eating. 👃
Want more? See all 10 facts on our website!
EVER WONDER?
Do carrots really help your eyes? 🥕
Where the myth started
During World War II, British posters claimed carrots improved night vision.
But the real reason behind getting people to eat more carrots was simpler: carrots were cheap and easy to grow during wartime food shortages. The “night vision” story also helped hide the fact that British pilots were using new radar technology during the Battle of Britain.
What carrots actually do
Carrots and leafy greens (like spinach and kale) contain beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A. Vitamin A helps special cells (the rod and cone cells) in your retina to work properly so you can see colors, see in dim light, and notice things in your side (peripheral) vision.
Not getting enough vitamin A can harm your eyes or even cause blindness in extreme cases.
Should you eat more carrots?
Most people in the United States already get enough vitamin A, so extra carrots won’t improve vision. Eating too many can even turn your skin orange - a harmless and reversible condition called carotenemia!
PICKS OF THE WEEK
🛰️ Voyager is still running on computers from 1977 with only 69 kB of memory!
🚢 What it’s like to live in a lighthouse during a storm
Artemis II crew | NASA
Thanks for reading, see you next week!
- Steve
P.S. 24 astronauts (all Americans) have been to the moon, but only 12 went down to the surface and walked on it. The last moon walk was part of Apollo 17 in 1972!