From chem trails to black holes and supernovas, misinformation about space travels faster than the speed of light. Even the facts we take for granted-like the earth spins once every 24 hours and you can see the Great Wall of China from space-are not as true as one would think. Urban Legends from Space helps you to tell science fiction from science fact.

Whether or not you’re into sci-fi or SpaceX, you’ve probably called a meteor a falling star and think astronauts float around in space stations because there’s no gravity. Bob King, author of Wonders of the Night Sky and writer for Sky & Telescope magazine, explains the truth behind myths of navigation and landmarks, celestial bodies and government conspiracies. Compasses don’t always point north; the sun isn’t yellow and Galileo didn’t invent the telescope. King explains why some people believed they found Bigfoot on Mars and many other myths-and provides us with concrete evidence to put those misconceptions to bed. No matter what you think you know, there’s something new King can teach you about our universe.