Our universe is so huge that it is extremely difficult to comprehend its entire essence. We can try to mentally embrace its vast expanses, but each time our consciousness flounders only on the surface. Today we decided to bring some intriguing facts that are likely to cause bewilderment.

When we look into the night sky, we see the past

The first presented fact is able to amaze the imagination. When we look at the stars in the night sky, we see starlight from the past, a glow that travels through space many tens and even hundreds of light years before reaching the human eye. In other words, whenever a person glances at the starry sky, he sees how the luminaries looked once before. Thus, the brightest star Vega is located at a distance of 25 light years from Earth. And the light that we saw tonight, this star left 25 years ago.

In the constellation of Orion there is a remarkable star Betelgeuse. It is located at a distance of 640 light years from our planet. Therefore, if we look at it tonight, we see the light left during the Hundred Years War between England and France. However, other stars are even further away, therefore, looking at them, we are in contact with an even deeper past.

The Hubble telescope allows you to look back billions of years

Science is constantly evolving, and now humanity has a unique opportunity to consider very distant objects in the universe. And it's all thanks to NASA's remarkable engineering development of the Hubble Ultra-Deep-Field Telescope. It is thanks to this that NASA labs have been able to create some incredible images. So, using images from this telescope between 2003 and 2004, a tiny patch of sky containing 10,000 objects was displayed.

Incredibly, most of the objects displayed are young galaxies acting as a portal to the past. Looking at the resulting image, people are transported 13 billion years ago, which is only 400-800 million years after the Big Bang. It was he who, from a scientific point of view, laid the foundation of our universe.

Echoes of the Big Bang penetrate the old TV

In order to catch the cosmic echo that exists in the universe, we need to turn on the old tube TV. At that moment, while we have not yet tuned the channels, we will see black and white interference and characteristic noise, clicks or crackles. Know that 1% of this interference is made up of cosmic background radiation, the afterglow of the Big Bang.

Sagittarius B2 is a giant cloud of alcohol

Not far from the center of the Milky Way, at a distance of 20,000 light years from Earth, there is a molecular cloud consisting of gas and dust. The giant cloud contains 10 to 9 billion liters of vinyl alcohol. By discovering these important organic molecules, scientists have gained some clues to the first building blocks of life, as well as their derivatives.

There is a diamond planet

Astronomers have discovered the largest diamond planet in our galaxy. This massive chunk of crystal diamond Lucy is named after the Beatles song of the same name about diamond skies. The planet Lucy was discovered at a distance of 50 light years from Earth in the constellation of Centaurus. The diameter of the giant diamond is 25,000 miles, which is much larger than the Earth. The weight of the planet is estimated at 10 billion trillion carats.

The path of the sun around the Milky Way

The Earth, as well as other objects in the solar system, revolve around the Sun, while our luminary, in turn, revolves around the Milky Way. It takes the Sun 225 million years to complete one revolution. Do you know that the last time our luminary was in its current position in the galaxy, when the collapse of the super continent Pangea began on Earth, and the dinosaurs began their development.

The largest mountain in the solar system

There is a mountain on Mars called Olympus Olympus, which is a giant shield volcano (analogous to the volcanoes found on the Hawaiian Islands). The height of the object is 26 kilometers, and its diameter stretches for 600 kilometers. For comparison: Everest, the largest peak of the Earth, is three times smaller than its counterpart from Mars.

Rotation of Uranus

Did you know that Uranus rotates relatively to the Sun practically "lying on its side", unlike most other planets, which have less axial deviation? This gigantic deflection results in very long seasons, with each pole receiving approximately 42 years of continuous sunlight in the summer and a similar time of perpetual darkness in the winter. The last time the summer solstice was observed on Uranus was in 1944, the winter solstice is expected only in 2028.

Features of Venus

Venus is the slowest rotating planet in solar system. It rotates so slowly that it takes longer to make a complete revolution than it does to orbit. This means that a day on Venus is actually longer than its year. This planet is also home to constant high CO2 electronic storms. Venus is also shrouded in clouds of sulfuric acid.

The fastest objects in the universe

It is believed that neutron stars rotate the fastest in the universe. A pulsar is a special type of neutron star that emits a pulse of light, the speed of which allows astronomers to measure the speed of rotation. The fastest rotation is recorded at the pulsar, which rotates at more than 70,000 kilometers per second.

How much does a neutron star spoon weigh?

Along with an incredibly high rotation speed, neutron stars have an increased density of their particles. So, according to experts, if we could collect one tablespoon of matter concentrated in the center of a neutron star, and then weigh it, then the resulting mass would be approximately one billion tons.

Is there life outside of our planet?

Scientists do not leave attempts to identify an intelligent civilization in any other place in the Universe than the Earth. For these purposes, a special project called "Search for extraterrestrial intelligence" has been developed. The project includes the study of the most promising planets and satellites, such as Io (moon of Jupiter). There are indications that evidence of primitive life may be found there.

Scientists are also considering the theory that life on Earth could have happened more than once. If this is proven, then the prospects for other objects in the universe will be more than intriguing.

There are 400 billion stars in our galaxy

Undoubtedly, the sun has great importance for us. It is the source of life, the source of heat and light, the source of energy. But it's just one of the many stars that populate our galaxy, centered on the Milky Way. According to the latest estimates, there are more than 400 billion stars in our galaxy.

Scientists are also looking for intelligent life among the 500 million planets orbiting other stars, with indicators of remoteness from the Sun similar to the Earth. The research is based not only on the distance from the star, but also on temperature indicators, the presence of water, ice or gas, the right combination of chemical compounds and other forms that can build life, the same as on Earth.

Conclusion

So, in the entire galaxy, there are 500 million planets where life could potentially exist. So far, this hypothesis has no concrete evidence and is based only on assumptions, however, it cannot be refuted either.

Incredible Facts

15. The fastest man

Usain St. Leo Bolt, born August 21, 1986, is a Jamaican runner. Bolt holds the Olympic and world records for the fastest 100 meters (9.69 seconds), 200 meters (19.30 seconds) and 4x100 meters (37.10 seconds). Bolt became the first person (since Carl Lewis did so in 1984) to win three categories at the same Olympics, and the first person in the world to set world records in three categories. His name and sprint accomplishments led to him being quickly dubbed "Lightning Bolt" by the media.

14. The fastest production car

The Bugatti Veyron is no longer the fastest car in the world. After numerous tweaks, Barabus has officially unveiled the TKR: a new supercar with 1,005 horsepower, and according to the automaker, the car can hit 98 km/h in 1.67 seconds. What's more, its top speed is 270 mph, 20 more than the Veyron. All its power comes from a 6-litre V8 twin-turbo engine with twin intercoolers.

13. The fastest land animal

The world's fastest land animal is a marvel of cheetah evolution. Capable of reaching speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, this slender, long-legged feline is built for speed. Its spotted coat, small head and ears make the cheetah one of Africa's most easily recognizable big cats.

12. Most fast computer

K computer - a Japanese supercomputer created by Fujitsu is a unique supercomputer. Currently the fastest computer in the world. It was activated in 2011, after being installed at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in the Japanese city of Kobe. The supercomputer operates with a maximum performance of 8.162 petaflops (8.162 quadrillion operations per second!). This is the only supercomputer of its kind that contains in its design a large number of innovative ideas.

The sailboat is the only species in the genus of sailboats that lives in the warm waters of all the oceans of the world. As a rule, the color of the fish varies from blue to gray, it has a characteristic dorsal fin that is stretched along the entire back. Another feature of this fish is an elongated nose, reminiscent of a swordfish. The fish swims at a speed of 110 km / h, today this is the highest speed that fish can develop. If this fish could move on land, it could easily overtake a driver driving on a highway.

10. The fastest train

In Japan, there was a recent test demonstration of the JR-Maglev MLX01 train, which reaches a speed of about 581 km / h, which is somewhat faster than the movement of any other train. The new train uses superconducting magnets in its operation, which leave a large gap for the operation of a repulsive type of electrodynamic suspension. This train, created by the central Japanese railway company JR Central and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, has been the fastest in the world for several years now.

Insano is the highest waterslide in the world (41 meters), it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Its height is equivalent to the height of a 14-story building. As a consequence of its height and inclination, it provides a very fast descent, 4-5 seconds at a speed of about 105 km/h. Because of these characteristics, the slide is considered the most extreme in the world. At the end of the journey, you will have a dip in a relaxing pool.

K-222, formerly K-162, was the only Papa ever built ("Papa" being the western name for the Soviet Union submarine Anchar). Its construction was postponed on December 28, 1963 and resumed again only on December 31, 1969. She served the Soviet Northern Fleet throughout her "career". It was the fastest submarine in the world, reaching a record speed of 44.7 knots during trials. However, the price of high speed was also high - huge costs in the production process, as well as high noise levels and significant damage to the hull during operation.

7. The fastest manned aircraft

The North American rocket-powered X-15 aircraft was part of the X-series of experimental aircraft that were built for the US Air Force, NASA, and the US Navy. The X-15's speed and altitude were record-breaking for the 1960s as the aircraft managed to reach the edge of outer space and return with valuable data. It still holds the world record for the fastest speed ever achieved by a manned aircraft. During the X-15 program, 13 of the flights were rated as space flights by the US Air Force because they exceeded an altitude of 80 km, thus, the pilots received the status of astronauts. The highest speed was recorded by the pilot Pete Knight (Pete Knight) during his flight - 7273 km / h.

6. The fastest helicopter

We now know that the maximum rotor speed of a helicopter can theoretically reach just over 250 miles per hour. Therefore, at the European Airshow, which took place on August 6, 1986, the Westland Lynx ZB500 helicopter, which reached a speed of 249.1 miles per hour (400.8 km / h), is the fastest helicopter in the world.

5. The fastest ... wind

On May 3, 1999, when a tornado visited the US state of Oklahoma, scientists recorded the highest wind speed ever recorded. It was about 318 miles per hour, while the tornado killed 4 people and destroyed 250 houses. Before that, the fastest wind was considered to be a tornado that again visited Oklahoma, but already in 1991, then its speed was 286 miles per hour. On the Fujita Scale (F0-F6), the 1999 tornado was less than 1 mile short of being classified as an F6. No tornado in the world has ever received this level.

The peregrine falcon is predatory bird falcon families. The size of a gray crow, the falcon has a beautiful blue-gray color of the back, a light mottled belly, black top head and pronounced "black mustache". This bird is considered the fastest in the world, as it can reach speeds in a dive flight of more than 322 km/h.

3. The fastest spacecraft

New Horizons is NASA's robotic spacecraft currently on its way to the planet Pluto. It is expected to be the first spacecraft to study Pluto and its moons (Charon, Nyx and Hydra). New Horizons was launched on January 19, 2006 at a speed of 16.26 km per second. Thus, he left the Earth at the fastest speed ever. It will approach Pluto on July 14, 2015.

In modern physics, light is the fastest phenomenon in the universe, its speed in empty space is a fundamental constant. The speed of light in vacuum is 299792245.8 m/s. This is the highest speed of anything that a person has been able to record. If you could travel around the perimeter of the earth's equator at the speed of light, then you could go around the entire planet in 1 second almost 8 times. Although the scientific community has not yet been able to accurately confirm the existence of something that would move faster than the speed of light, there is an assumption about superluminal particles, which are number 1 on our list.

1. Superluminal particles

Tachyons are a supposed class of particles that are able to travel faster than the speed of light. The idea of ​​tachyons was first proposed by the physicist Arnold Sommerfeld. The word tachyon comes from the Greek tachus, which means "quick". Tachyons have a strange property: when they lose energy, they begin to pick up speed. Therefore, when tachyons receive energy, they slow down. The slowest speed of tachyons is said to be the speed of light.

It was obtained in the center of the explosion of a thermonuclear bomb - about 300...400 million °C. The maximum temperature reached in the course of a controlled thermonuclear reaction at the TOKAMAK fusion test facility at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, USA, in June 1986, is 200 million °C.

lowest temperature

Absolute zero on the Kelvin scale (0 K) corresponds to -273.15° Celsius or -459.67° Fahrenheit. The lowest temperature, 2 10–9 K (two-billionth of a degree) above absolute zero, was achieved in a two-stage nuclear demagnetization cryostat at the Laboratory low temperatures Helsinki University of Technology, Finland, by a group of scientists led by Professor Olli Lounasmaa (b. 1930), which was announced in October 1989.

The smallest thermometer

Dr. Frederick Sachs, a biophysicist at the State University of New York, Buffalo, USA, has designed a microthermometer to measure the temperature of individual living cells. The diameter of the thermometer tip is 1 micron, i.e. 1/50 of the diameter of a human hair.

The largest barometer

The 12 m high water barometer was constructed in 1987 by Bert Bolle, curator of the Barometer Museum in Martensdijk, The Netherlands, where it is installed.

The biggest pressure

As reported in June 1978, at the Carnegie Institution Geophysical Laboratory, Washington, USA, the highest constant pressure of 1.70 megabars (170 GPa) was obtained in a giant diamond-coated hydraulic press. It was also announced that in this laboratory on March 2, 1979, solid hydrogen was obtained at a pressure of 57 kilobars. Metallic hydrogen is expected to be a silvery white metal with a density of 1.1 g/cm 3 . According to the calculations of physicists G.K. Mao and P.M. Bell, this experiment at 25°C would require a pressure of 1 megabar.

In the United States, as reported in 1958, using dynamic methods with shock velocities of the order of 29,000 km/h, an instantaneous pressure of 75 million atm was obtained. (7 thousand GPa).

The highest speed

In August 1980, it was reported that at the US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, USA, a plastic disk was accelerated to a speed of 150 km/s. This is the maximum speed at which a solid visible object has ever moved.

The most accurate scales

The world's most accurate balance, the Sartorius-4108, was made in Göttingen, Germany, and can weigh objects up to 0.5 g with an accuracy of 0.01 µg, or 0.00000001 g, which corresponds to approximately 1/60 of the weight printing ink spent on the dot at the end of this sentence.

largest bubble chamber

The world's largest bubble chamber, costing $7 million, was built in October 1973 in Weston, Illinois, USA. It is 4.57 m in diameter, holds 33,000 liters of liquid hydrogen at -247°C, and is equipped with a superconducting magnet that generates a 3 T field.

The fastest centrifuge

The ultracentrifuge was invented by Theodor Svedberg (1884...1971), Sweden, in 1923.

The highest rotational speed obtained by man is 7250 km/h. This is the speed reported on January 24, 1975 for a 15.2 cm conical carbon fiber rod rotating in a vacuum at the University of Birmingham, UK.

The most accurate cut

As reported in June 1983, a high-precision diamond-turning machine at the National Laboratory. Lawrence in Livermore, California, USA, can cut a human hair 3,000 times lengthwise. The cost of the machine is 13 million dollars.

The most powerful electric current

The most powerful electricity was generated at the Los Alamos Science Laboratory, New Mexico, USA. With the simultaneous discharge of 4032 capacitors, combined into the Zeus supercapacitor, within a few microseconds they give twice the electric current than that generated by all the energy installations of the Earth.

The hottest flame

The hottest flame is obtained by the combustion of carbon subnitride (C 4 N 2), giving at 1 atm. temperature 5261 K.

Highest measured frequency

The highest frequency that the naked eye perceives is the frequency of oscillations of yellow-green light, equal to 520.206 808 5 terahertz (1 terahertz - million million hertz), corresponding to the transition line 17 - 1 P (62) of iodine-127.

The highest frequency measured with instruments is the green light oscillation frequency, equal to 582.491703 THz for the b 21 component of R(15) 43 - 0 of the iodine-127 transition line. By decision of the General Conference of Weights and Measures, adopted on October 20, 1983, for the exact expression of the meter (m) using the speed of light ( c) it is established that "a meter is the path traveled by light in a vacuum in a time interval equal to 1/299792458 of a second". As a result, the frequency ( f) and wavelength (λ) are related by the dependence f·λ = c.

The weakest friction

The lowest coefficient of dynamic and static friction for a solid body (0.02) has polytetrafluoroethylene (C 2 F 4n), called PTFE. It is equal to friction wet ice about wet ice. This substance was first obtained in sufficient quantity by the American firm E.I. Dupont de Nemours" in 1943 and was exported from the USA under the name "teflon". American and Western European housewives adore pots and pans with non-stick Teflon coating.

In a centrifuge at the University of Virginia, USA, a 13.6 kg rotor supported by a magnetic field rotates in a vacuum of 10–6 mm Hg at a speed of 1000 rpm. It loses only 1 rpm per day and will rotate for many years.

The smallest hole

A hole with a diameter of 40 angstroms (4 10 -6 mm) was observed on a JEM 100C electron microscope using a Quantel Electronics device at the Department of Metallurgy, Oxford University, UK, on ​​October 28, 1979. Finding such a hole is like finding a pinhead in a haystack with sides of 1.93 km.

In May 1983, an electron microscope beam at the University of Illinois, USA, accidentally burned a hole 2 x 10–9 m in diameter in a sample of sodium beta-aluminate.

The most powerful laser beams

For the first time, it was possible to illuminate another celestial body with a beam of light on May 9, 1962; then a beam of light was reflected from the surface of the moon. It was directed by a laser (a light amplifier based on stimulated emission) whose sighting accuracy was coordinated by a 121.9 cm telescope installed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. A spot about 6.4 km in diameter was illuminated on the lunar surface. The laser was proposed in 1958 by the American Charles Townes (born in 1915). A light pulse of this power with a duration of 1/5000 can burn through a diamond due to its evaporation at temperatures up to 10,000°C. This temperature is created by 2·10 23 photons. As reported, the Shiva laser installed in the laboratory. Lawrence in Livermore, California, USA, was able to concentrate a light beam with a power of the order of 2.6 10 13 W on an object the size of a pinhead for 9.5 10 -11 s. This result was obtained in an experiment on May 18, 1978.

The brightest light

The brightest artificial light sources are laser pulses, which were generated at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA, in March 1987 by Dr. Robert Graham. The power of a flash of ultraviolet light with a duration of 1 picosecond (1 10 -12 s) was 5 10 15 W.

The most powerful constant light source is a high-pressure argon arc lamp with a power input of 313 kW and a light intensity of 1.2 million candela, manufactured by Vortek Industries in Vancouver, Canada, in March 1984.

The most powerful searchlight was produced during the Second World War, in 1939 ... 1945, by the General Electric Company. It was developed at the Hearst Research Centre, London. With a power consumption of 600 kW, it gave an arc brightness of 46,500 cd / cm 2 and a maximum beam intensity of 2700 million cd from a parabolic mirror with a diameter of 3.04 m.

The shortest pulse of light

Charles Shank and colleagues at the laboratories of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (ATT), New Jersey, USA, received a light pulse with a duration of 8 femtoseconds (8 10 -15 s), which was announced in April 1985. Pulse length was equal to 4 ... 5 wavelengths of visible light, or 2.4 microns.

Most durable light bulb

The average incandescent bulb burns for 750 ... 1000 hours. There is evidence that, released by Shelby Electric and recently demonstrated by Mr. Burnell at the Livermore Fire Department, California, USA, first gave light in 1901.

The heaviest magnet

The heaviest magnet in the world has a diameter of 60 m and weighs 36 thousand tons. It was made for a 10 TeV synchrophasotron installed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Moscow region.

The largest electromagnet

The world's largest electromagnet is part of the L3 detector used in experiments at the Large Electron-Positron Collider (LEP) of the European Council for Nuclear Research, Switzerland. An octagonal electromagnet consists of a yoke made of 6400 tons of low-carbon steel and an aluminum coil weighing 1100 tons. The yoke elements, weighing up to 30 tons each, were made in the USSR. The coil, made in Switzerland, consists of 168 turns, electrowelded on an octagonal frame. A current of 30 thousand A, passing through an aluminum coil, creates a magnetic field with a power of 5 kilogauss. The dimensions of the electromagnet, exceeding the height of a 4-storey building, are 12x12x12 m, and total weight equal to 7810 tons. It took more metal to make it than to build it.

Magnetic fields

The most powerful constant field of 35.3 ± 0.3 Tesla was obtained at the National Magnetic Laboratory. Francis Bitter at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, May 26, 1988. A hybrid magnet with holmium poles was used to obtain it. Under its influence, the magnetic field created by the heart and brain increased.

The weakest magnetic field was measured in a shielded room in the same laboratory. Its value was 8·10 -15 Tesla. It was used by Dr. David Cohen to study the extremely weak magnetic fields generated by the heart and brain.

most powerful microscope

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM), invented at the IBM Research Laboratory in Zurich in 1981, makes it possible to achieve a magnification of 100 million times and distinguish details up to 0.01 atom diameter (3 10 -10 m). It is claimed that the size of scanning tunneling microscopes of the 4th generation will not exceed the size of a thimble.

Using field ion microscopy, the probe tips of scanning tunneling microscopes are made in such a way that there is a single atom at their end - the last 3 layers of this man-made pyramid consist of 7, 3 and 1 atom In July 1986, representatives of the Bell Telephone Laboratory Systems, Murray Hill, NJ, USA, announced that they were able to transfer a single atom (most likely germanium) of the tungsten probe tip of a scanning tunneling microscope onto a germanium surface. In January 1990, a similar operation was repeated by D. Eigler and E. Schweitzer from the IBM Research Center, San Jose, California, USA. Using a scanning tunneling microscope, they spelled out the word IBM single xenon atoms, transferring them to the nickel surface.

The loudest noise

The loudest noise obtained in the laboratory was 210 dB, or 400,000 ac. Watts (acoustic watts), NASA said. It was obtained by reflecting sound from a reinforced concrete test bench measuring 14.63 m and a foundation 18.3 m deep, designed to test the Saturn V rocket, at the Space Flight Center. Marshall, Huntsville, Alabama, USA, in October 1965. A sound wave of this magnitude could drill holes in solid materials. Noise was heard within 161 km.

The smallest microphone

In 1967, Prof. Ibrahim Kavrak of Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey, created a microphone for a new technique for measuring pressure in liquid flow. His frequency range- from 10 Hz to 10 kHz, dimensions - 1.5 mm x 0.7 mm.

highest note

The highest note received has a frequency of 60 gigahertz. It was generated by a laser beam directed at a sapphire crystal at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, in September 1964.

The most powerful particle accelerator

Proton synchrotron with a diameter of 2 km at the National Acceleration Laboratory. Fermi, east of Bateyvia, Illinois, USA, is the world's most powerful nuclear particle accelerator. On May 14, 1976, an energy of the order of 500 GeV (5 10 11 electron volts) was obtained for the first time. On October 13, 1985, as a result of the collision of beams of protons and antiprotons, an energy of 1.6 GeV (1.6 10 11 electron volts) was obtained in the center of mass system. This required 1,000 superconducting magnets operating at -268.8°C, maintained by the world's largest helium liquefaction plant with a capacity of 4,500 liters per hour, which went into operation on April 18, 1980.

The CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) goal of colliding proton and antiproton beams in the 270 GeV 2 = 540 GeV Super High Energy Proton Synchrotron (SPS) was achieved in Geneva, Switzerland, at 4:55 am on 10 July 1981 This energy is equivalent to that which is released during the collision of protons with an energy of 150 thousand GeV with an immovable target.

On August 16, 1983, the US Department of Energy subsidized research on the creation by 1995 of a superconducting supercollider (SSC) with a diameter of 83.6 km for the energy of two proton-antiproton beams of 20 TeV. The White House approved this $6 billion project on January 30, 1987.

The Quietest Place

The Dead Room, measuring 10.67 x 8.5 m at Bell Telephone Systems Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey, USA, is the most sound-absorbing room in the world, with 99.98% of reflected sound disappearing. .

The sharpest objects and the smallest tubes

The sharpest human-made objects are glass micropipette tubes used in experiments with living cell tissues. The technology for their manufacture was developed and implemented by Professors Kenneth T. Brown and Dale J. Flaming at the Department of Physiology at the University of California at San Francisco in 1977. They received conical tube tips with an outer diameter of 0.02 μm and an inner diameter of 0.01 μm . The latter was 6500 times thinner than a human hair.

smallest artificial object

On February 8, 1988, Texas Instruments, Dallas, Texas, USA, announced that it had succeeded in making "quantum dots" from indium and gallium arsenide with a diameter of only 100 millionths of a millimeter.

The highest vacuum

It was obtained at the IBM Research Center. Thomas J. Watson, Yorktown Heights, New York, USA, in October 1976 in a cryogenic system with temperatures up to –269°C and was equal to 10–14 Torr. This is equivalent to the fact that the distance between molecules (the size of a tennis ball) has increased from 1 m to 80 km.

Lowest viscosity

The California Institute of Technology, USA, announced on December 1, 1957, that liquid helium-2 at temperatures close to absolute zero(–273.15°C), does not have viscosity, i.e. has perfect fluidity.

The highest voltage

May 17, 1979 at National Electrostatics Corporation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA, the highest electrical potential difference was obtained in the laboratory. It amounted to 32 ± 1.5 million V.

Guinness World Records, 1998

13. The fastest person

Usain St. Leo Bolt is an outstanding Jamaican sprinter, three-time Olympic champion in 2008, five-time world champion. The current holder of world records in the 100 (9.58 seconds, Berlin 2009) and 200 meters (19.19 seconds, Berlin 2009), as well as in the 4 × 100 meters relay as part of the Jamaican team (37.04 seconds, Daegu 2011) ). He is the first person in the history of athletics to set world records in these three distances at the same Olympics. For his name and achievements, he received the nickname Lightning.

12. The fastest land animal

The fastest land animal is the cheetah, a marvel of evolution. He is able to run at a speed of 115 km/h. The body of a cheetah, flexible, with long limbs, is simply created for speed.

11. The fastest computer

The IBM Roadrunner is a supercomputer at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, USA. Was the world's fastest supercomputer in 2009.

10. The fastest fish

The sailboat is the only species in the genus of sailboats and the fastest swimming fish in the world. The sailboat lives in the warm waters of all oceans. Has a blue and blue color and has hallmark a sail-like fin running along the entire length of the back. Another sign is an oblong protrusion on the muzzle. These fish develop speeds up to 110 km/h.

9. The fastest train

A test site was built in Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan, where on December 2, 2003, an experimental train of three MLX01 modification cars set an absolute speed record for rail transport of 581 km / h. JR-Maglev uses electrodynamic suspension with superconducting magnets (EDS) installed both on the train and on the track. Residents of the prefecture can ride the train for free, and 100,000 people have already done so.

8. The fastest water slide

Insano is the fastest water slide in the world with a height of 41 m. It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. In height, the slide can catch up with a 14-story building. Insano provides a very fast descent in 4-5 seconds, the speed develops up to 105 km / h.

7. The fastest submersible

K-222 is a second-generation Soviet nuclear submarine armed with P-70 Amethyst cruise missiles, the only ship built according to project 661 Anchar. The fastest submarine in the world, reaching speeds of over 80 km / h (42 knots) underwater. However, for such a speed had to pay a lot both in terms of money and high level noise and great damage to the hull.

6. The fastest manned aircraft

The X-15 is an experimental US rocket-propelled aircraft equipped with rocket engines. The aircraft holds the record as the fastest in the world. He reached speeds of up to 7273 km / h under the control of pilot Pete Knight.

5. The fastest helicopter

Westland Links is a British multipurpose helicopter. On August 6, 1986, during demonstration flights on Lynx with a modified engine and special rotor blades, a world speed record for helicopters (400.87 km / h) was set.

4. The fastest wind

On May 3, 1999, during a tornado in Oklahoma, scientists measured the speed of the fastest wind. It amounted to 511 km / h. That day, the tornado killed 4 people and destroyed 250 houses.

2. The fastest spaceship

New Horizons (New Horizons) NASA's automatic interplanetary station, designed to study Pluto and its natural satellite Charon. The New Horizons station was launched on January 19, 2006. It left the vicinity of the Earth with the highest speed of all spacecraft. At the time of turning off the engines, it was 16.21 km / s.

Mankind has learned to build very powerful and high-speed objects, which are assembled for decades, in order to then achieve the most distant goals. "Shuttle" in orbit moves at a speed of more than 27 thousand kilometers per hour. A number of NASA space probes such as Helios 1, Helios 2 or Vodger 1 are powerful enough to reach the moon in a few hours.

☛ This article was translated from themysteriousworld.com English resource and, of course, is not entirely true. Many Russian and Soviet launch vehicles and spacecraft have crossed the 11,000 km/h barrier, but the West seems to have gotten used to not noticing this. Yes, and there is quite a bit of information about our space objects in the public domain, in any case, we could not find out about the speed of many Russian devices.

Here is a list of the ten fastest objects man-made:

✰ ✰ ✰

rocket cart

Speed: 10,385 km/h

Rocket carts are actually used to test platforms used to accelerate experimental objects. During the tests, the bogie has a record speed of 10,385 km/h. These devices use sliding blocks instead of wheels so that you can develop such lightning speed. Rocket carts are propelled by rockets.

This external force imparts an initial acceleration to the experimental objects. The carts also have long, over 3 km, straight sections of track. The rocket cart tanks are filled with lubricants, such as helium gas, so that this helps the experimental object develop the necessary speed. These devices are commonly used to accelerate rockets, aircraft parts, and aircraft rescue sections.

✰ ✰ ✰

NASA X-43A

Speed: 11,200 km/h

ASA X-43 A is an unmanned supersonic aircraft, which is launched from a larger aircraft. In 2005, the NASA X-43A was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest aircraft ever made. He develops top speed 11,265 km/h, which is about 8.4 times faster than the speed of sound.

NASA X-13 A uses drop launch technology. First, this supersonic aircraft hits a higher altitude on a larger aircraft and then crashes. The required speed is achieved with the help of a launch vehicle. On final stage, after reaching the set speed NASA X-13 runs on its own engine.

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Shuttle "Columbia"

Speed: 27,350 km/h

The Columbia shuttle was the first successful reusable spacecraft in the history of space exploration. Since 1981, he has successfully completed 37 missions. The Columbia shuttle's record speed is 27,350 km/h. The ship exceeded its normal speed when it crashed on February 1, 2003.

The shuttle normally travels at 27,350 km/h to stay in Earth's lower orbit. At this speed, the crew of a spacecraft can see the sunrise and sunset multiple times in a single day.

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Shuttle Discovery

Speed: 28,000 km/h

Shuttle Discovery has a record number of successful missions, more than any other spaceship. Discovery has made 30 successful flights since 1984, and its speed record is 28,000 km/h. This is five times faster than the speed of a bullet. Sometimes spacecraft must travel faster than their usual speed of 27,350 km/h. It all depends on the chosen orbit and the height of the spacecraft.

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Apollo 10 lander

Speed: 39,897 km/h

The Apollo 10 launch was a rehearsal for NASA's mission before landing on the moon. During the return journey, on May 26, 1969, the Apollo 10 apparatus acquired a lightning speed of 39,897 km / h. The Guinness Book of World Records held the Apollo 10 lander speed record as the fastest manned vehicle speed record.

In fact, the Apollo 10 module needed such a speed to reach the Earth's atmosphere from lunar orbit. Apollo 10 also completed its mission in 56 hours.