When we look at the sky, we think about how fascinating it could be to explore other planets. But there is a dark aspect that we cannot ignore: death in space. A space shuttle is not enough to survive an interplanetary journey without the right protection. Each planet in the solar system has its own deadly dangers. From Venus, with its hellish atmosphere, to Mars, where without a space suit we would not even be able to breathe. And Jupiter? There is no solid surface to land on, only gas and violent storms that would destroy any ship. Let's find out together what would happen in the event of death on other planets in the solar system.
Death on Other Planets: Are You Sure You Want to Know What It Would Be Like?
Exploring space has always been one of humanity's most fascinating dreams. It doesn't matter whether our ultimate goal is a trip to Mars or the search for life on Europa, one of Jupiter's other satellites. However, someone has taken the trouble to simulate what death would be like on every planet in the solar system. And believe me, it's not a spacewalk at all. In fact, it could turn out to be an incredibly quick and painful experience.
Death on Venus: Crushed by a Deadly Breath
Venus It is the planet that brings us closest to hell, and that is not an exaggeration. Its temperatures reach 465°C, hotter than the surface of Mercury, despite being farther from the Sun. But it's not just the heat that kills; the real threat on Venus is the enormous atmospheric pressure that would crush us like a forgotten balloon on a picnic table.
If we could survive the heat, the atmospheric pressure 92 times greater than Earth's would compromise our spacesuit in a matter of seconds. In practice, we would be “embraced” by air as thick as a sea of toxic gases. Before we know it, our bodies will end up like crumpled cans, unable to escape an inevitable fate.
Death on Mercury: From Ice to Fire in the Blink of an Eye
Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, has a reputation for being a deadly place, but in a very different way. With no atmosphere, there is nothing to retain heat during the day and no protection against the cold at night.
Temperature can vary greatly, reaching 430°C during the day and dropping to -180°C at night. If we were on Mercury without a spacesuit, we would most likely die of hypothermia during the night, unable to move due to our bodies being frozen solid. Conversely, during the day, we would be instantly cooked alive by scorching heat. Choose your poison: fire or ice?
Death on Mars: The Broken Dream of a New Home
Mars, the red planet, has been described by many as our “second home”, the place where the sun could rise the first human city outside our planet. But there's a problem: without a spacesuit, we wouldn't survive a minute. Its atmosphere is 95% carbon dioxide, which means that we wouldn't have enough oxygen to breathe.
We would then quickly die of asphyxiation. If we decided to try to survive for a few moments without the suit, we would end up suffering from a form of “drowning in air”, struggling to breathe, while our bodies try to adapt to insufficient oxygen. Alternatively, we could still die of hypothermia there, since the average temperature on Mars is about -60°C. A not very welcoming world, to put it briefly.
Death on Other Planets, Jupiter: One Shuttle Is Not Enough
Jupiter, the gas giant, doesn't even have a solid surface to land on, which alone is a good reason not to try to visit it. But if we hypothetically decided to venture into the heart of the planet, where storms and supersonic winds rage, our shuttle would be destroyed almost instantly.
Its storms and winds accelerated to 600 km/h would blow us away like leaves in the wind. And if we were to be hit by one of Jupiter's powerful lightning bolts (they are so strong that they could power entire cities on Earth), the electrical energy would destroy our spacecraft in an instant. In short, on Jupiter we would die without even realizing it.
Death on Uranus and Neptune: Ice and Storms
Uranus e Nettuno, two ice giants, offer perhaps the deadliest scenarios of all. Uranus has temperatures as low as -224°C, but what makes death here so terrifying is the dense atmosphere, made up of gases like hydrogen and helium. At these temperatures, a human body would freeze in a matter of minutes, but the real threat would be the incredible atmospheric storms.
On Neptune, with its 2.000 km/h supersonic winds, we would be at the mercy of violent vortices that would tear any spaceship to pieces. There is really no escape.
Death on Other Planets: Maybe It's Better to Stay on Earth (Except Saturday Nights)
Before setting off on a long journey, as Irene Grandi sang, it’s worth reflecting on how wonderful our home actually is. After exploring the potentially brutal deaths that await us on every planet in the solar system, probably the best advice I can give is to stay on Earth. There’s plenty of space to explore here, without the risk of being crushed, burned, or frozen.
Of course, the conditions on our planet could one day lead man to seek alternatives to "decongest" the problems, or go and live elsewhere (perhaps on enormous spaceships). capable of hosting entire generations of people). In our solar system, however, there are no easy “hotels.”