The lightest solid substance on Planet Earth.
Aerogel. 99.8 percent air. Yet extremely strong. Shown here on top of a bottle. This one inch square piece has more insulating value than 20 inches
of glass. When holding it in your hand it has the weight of nothing. Yet it is solid. This is the material that was used to catch the interstellar dust by the Stardust space vehicle. It is also the insulating material for the Mars Rovers that keeps them warm during the -150 degree (f) martian nights. It's a bit pricey...the piece shown here was about $40.00 (ebay) but it is a great conversation piece . Here are some more cool pics....http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/photo/aerogel.html from NASA.
of glass. When holding it in your hand it has the weight of nothing. Yet it is solid. This is the material that was used to catch the interstellar dust by the Stardust space vehicle. It is also the insulating material for the Mars Rovers that keeps them warm during the -150 degree (f) martian nights. It's a bit pricey...the piece shown here was about $40.00 (ebay) but it is a great conversation piece . Here are some more cool pics....http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/photo/aerogel.html from NASA.
posted by Reach the Beach at 1:36 AM
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