Daydreaming about going into space is a full-time hobby for some people, and there’s a subset of human beings who have the exploratory nature that’s sent us into the atmosphere, below the ocean, and into every corner of the planet.
But before you pack your bags for Elon Musk’s next space adventure, here’s some good information to have – like how quickly the planets in our own solar system are ready to kill you.
Spoiler alert: without the proper equipment, the longest you’d live is around 2 minutes.
Mercury
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ZKeQQIVoJ/
Survival Time: About 2 minutes
The side of Mercury that faces the sun is around 800 degrees F and the opposite side of the planet is around -290 degrees F, so, according to Neil Degrasse Tyson, if you could straddle the line between the two, you could survive about as long as you could hold your breath.
Venus
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu-3NEkFPh3/
Survival Time: Less than 1 second
The surface of Venus is around 900 degrees F, so even though Venus has about the same gravity as Earth, you would vaporize almost instantly.
Mars
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Y7InxANf8/
Survival Time: About 2 minutes
Mars is cold and has very thin air, so if you had some very warm clothing you would be okay…until you had to take a big ol’ deep breath.
Jupiter
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2PBaOmpRHD/
Survival Time: Less than 1 second
Jupiter is made of gas, so you wouldn’t survive on it as much as in it. Tyson says, “You would descend forever into the gaseous atmosphere until you’re crushed by the pressure of the planet’s layers.
That sounds particularly uncomfortable.
Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ZPkT4HmhJ/
Survival Time: Less than 1 second
These planets have atmosphere’s similar to Jupiter’s, meaning you would have no way to walk on the surface while you held your breath and took in the sights. You’d get crushed by the pressure before hitting anything solid.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to stay right here on Earth and take my chances with guns and climate change.
