08. What do people look like in space? (A K2S Question)
From The Space Library
There are three possible answers to this question. First, many things work the same in space as they do here on Earth and light is one of those things. We see things either because they reflect light—we see most things this way—or because they produce their own light, like light bulbs, the Sun, and the stars. We see people by the visible light that they reflect so people in space will look the same as on Earth as long as light is shining on them. Next, people would look different in space than they do on Earth because in space people have to wear spacesuits in order to stay warm and have air to breathe. Spacesuits cover the entire person except for the face which is behind a glass face-cover in a helmet. Sometimes the face-cover is dark like sunglasses so that you cannot see the person at all. Finally, when people are in space, they often seem weightless so they may look funny. They may be floating—perhaps even upside-down— and if they have long hair their hair may stick out in all directions! Peoples' faces also look a little different in space because their cheeks don't sag towards the ground like they do on Earth. This may make people look happier in space, even if they are not smiling! If you can't picture this, have a friend take a picture of you standing straight up and then hanging upside-down on a playground bar. Now orient the pictures so that your head appears in the same direction in both and have a look. Do you see the difference?
Answer provided by Luke Keller, Ph.D.
Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer
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