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What happens to our tears if we cry in space?

In space, our tears don't fall down — they stick to our eyes like a tiny ball of water.

When we cry on Earth, gravity pulls our tears down our cheeks. But in space, there is almost no gravity. So tears don't flow down. Instead, they gather around the eye like a small, round ball of water and just stay there.

This ball of water can get bigger and bother the eye. It can even sting, because it doesn't flow away. Astronauts have to wipe it off with a towel, or the tear just stays stuck to the eye.

Some astronauts have talked about really crying on a space station. They were very surprised to see their tears floating like a tiny ball. It's a fun example of how different space is from Earth.

Quick facts

There is almost no gravity in space.
Tears don't run down in space — they gather in a ball around the eye.
Drops of water like to form a round ball shape.
Astronauts have to wipe tears from their eyes with a towel.
On Earth, gravity pulls tears down our cheeks.

Check what you remember

3 questions — all of them come from the quick facts above. There is no score and no wrong turn.

1. What do tears do in space?

2. What pulls tears down on Earth?

3. How do astronauts clean away tears that have gathered?

Where this comes from

1 nasa.gov 90/100
NASA homepage
The official NASA website, a source of real facts about space and astronauts.
2 tr.wikipedia.org 80/100
Weightlessness - Wikipedia
An encyclopedia page that explains why gravity can't be felt in space.
3 tr.wikipedia.org 75/100
Space station - Wikipedia
A page that explains how astronauts live in space.

🌍

What is gravity?

Gravity is the invisible force that pulls us and everything else toward the Earth. It's why things fall down, and why tears run down our face.

🚀

Is there no gravity in space?

On a space station, there is almost no gravity to feel. Astronauts and objects float in the air. This is called 'weightlessness'.

💧

Why does water turn into a ball?

Drops of water pull towards each other and want to stay round. Without gravity, this pull is easier to see, so water forms into little balls.

How do astronauts live?

Astronauts have to get used to weightlessness when they eat, sleep, and wash on a space station. Everything floats, so it has to be fixed in place.

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