Space is a vacuum, but stepping outside a spaceship without a suit wouldn’t kill you instantly. You wouldn’t explode, and your blood wouldn’t boil—Hollywood gets that wrong. Instead, you’d pass out in about 15 seconds from lack of oxygen. After a minute or two, things would turn fatal. But for a few moments, you’d still be conscious enough to notice the saliva on your tongue start to bubble (because of low pressure) before everything fades to black.
Enjoyed this article?
Get daily 10-minute PDFs about astronomy to read before bed!
Sign up for our upcoming micro-learning service where you will learn something new about space and beyond every day while winding down.