top of page
Writer's pictureMoiya McTier

Astronomy Fun Fact #57

When astronomers talk about ice in space, we're rarely talking about water ice.


Every material has a temperature where it becomes solid, and when a material usually exists in gas or liquid forms, its solid state is called ice.


Around a star, we call the distance where a molecule turns to ice its "snow line." The position of this snow line depends on the type of molecule and temperature of the star.


For most simple molecules in our solar system, the snow line is 450 million miles away from the Sun.

4 views1 comment

Recent Posts

See All

Astronomy Fun Fact #100!

Alright, friends. Here it is, my 100th and final astronomy fun fact! And what better topic to end on than the ultimate fate of the...

Astronomy Fun Fact #99

Astronomy is often viewed as an unnecessary science because people think astronomy research doesn't directly affect people's lives....

1 Comment


mylesbkeating
Jun 17, 2019

I don't know why but this one really struck me. Are all the ices clear? Or different colors? Their crystal structures are different right? Do you have a favorite? Are these little ice chips floating around in clouds like a dust cloud or are there space icebergs? Is that what asteroids are?

Like
bottom of page