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Credit & Copyright: CSA, ASC,
Expedition 35
Explanation:
What happens if you wring out a wet towel while floating in space?
The water shouldn't fall toward the floor because while orbiting the
Earth, free falling objects will appear to float.
But will the water fly out from the towel, or what?
The answer may surprise you.
To find out and to further exhibit how strange being in orbit can
be,
Expedition 35
Commander
Chris Hadfield
did just this experiment last week in the
microgravity
of the Earth orbiting
International Space Station.
As demonstrated in the
above video, although a few drops do go flying
off, most of the water sticks together and forms a unusual-looking cylindrical
sheath in and around the towel.
The self-sticking
surface tension
of water is well known on Earth, for
example being used to create
artistic water cascades
and, more generally,
raindrops.
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: ISS
Publications with words: ISS
See also: