ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot shared a video demonstrating the behavior of water and convex lenses aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
These demonstrations provide a rare look at how fluid dynamics change in microgravity, helping students and the public understand physics outside of Earth's atmosphere.
Recording the segment on day 79 [1] of her mission, Adenot presented the experiment during orbit 1,222 [2]. The video is the fifth episode [3] of her "Sunday morning science with Sophie" series, specifically titled "Water and convex lenses, part II," Adenot said.
In the demonstration, Adenot explored how water interacts with convex lenses when the stabilizing force of gravity is absent. The experiment illustrates how surface tension dominates the shape of liquids in space, creating spheres that can act as lenses themselves.
By documenting these phenomena, the European Space Agency (ESA) aims to make complex orbital mechanics more accessible. The series uses the unique environment of the ISS to visualize scientific principles that are difficult or impossible to replicate in a terrestrial laboratory.
"Day 79, orbit 1,222 — Sunday morning science with Sophie, episode 5: Water and convex lenses, part II," Adenot said.
“Water and convex lenses, part II.”
The use of social media and short-form video by astronauts like Adenot represents a shift in science communication. By turning the ISS into a classroom, space agencies can engage a broader global audience in STEM education, moving beyond formal reports to real-time, visual evidence of physics in action.
