• Question: Does your head blow up if your in space with no equipment

    Asked by Harry payton 657 to Hugh, Heather, Helen, Jane, Julian on 13 Nov 2014. This question was also asked by 322spaa48.
    • Photo: Julian Onions

      Julian Onions answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      It certainly won’t do you any good. I don’t think it will explode.
      First you’ll die because you can’t breathe.
      Then the water in your eyes will start to steam away because of the low pressure, but it will also start to freeze – as will your body because of the coldness of space. All in all, its not really an experiment anyone should try!

    • Photo: Helen Johnson

      Helen Johnson answered on 14 Nov 2014:

      Yep, I agree it’s really not a happy thought!
      The oxygen you have in your lungs will last you 15 seconds, and after that, kaput. If you try to hold your breath the pressure difference between your lungs and the outside vaccum will make your lungs explode!
      There’s also a ton of nasty radiation in space in the form of UV (which is what causes sunburn), X rays, and high energy particles from the Sun.
      Apparently you wouldn’t quite explode because your skin is really stretchy (ew.), but you might get a whole lot bigger.

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