What does a candle's flame look like when it burns in space?

Answer 1

you'd have to be inside the shuttle or a ship with an oxygen supply in the air for the flame to burn..... even still it's difficult for it to burn with little gravity.

this is what it would look like (in zero gravity)
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/shared/news2000/flames/candles-large.jpg
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/images/content/83558main_fs009fig5.jpg

the video is old and grainy, but its a flame burning in zero G
http://science.nasa.gov/msl1/images/previous_missions/CFM/0gcandlesv.avi

if the flame was in space, chances are, due to the lack of O it wouldn't burn

Answer 2

It would have a hemispherical, blue flame. A candle takes the form of a flame tongue on earth because of bouyancy, i.e. hot air rises due to convection, and draws oxygen from the air surrounding the flame. In space, it would take the form of a sphere because of the absence of bouyancy, and because of the heat loss to the wax/wick of the candle, the lower part of the spherical flame does not appear, and the flame would appear as a hemisphere. And since there is no convection in zero gravity, the oxygen is drawn only from the air immediately in contact with the flame, so that it burns at a much lower temperature, not allowing the formation of soot which should otherwise cause the flame to turn yellow. Hence, a blue hemispherical flame.

Answer 3

It is hard to see a nonexistant candle flame in outer space. There can be no flame in outer space because of the almost perfect vacuum that exists there - no air, no oxygen. Without oxygen there can be no burning...burning is a rapid form of oxidation.

Guess you will need a flash light for your hunting in outer space.

Answer 4

Is this a trick question?? I'm going to try and answer it anyway.
Well assuming that the candel would have a flame (which it wouldn't because of alot of other reason then the fact that there is no oxygen) we would be able to see it from a longer distance then on Earth because there would be no atmospheric disturbances, BUT that is disregarding almost everything about the nature of firee and outter space.

Answer 5

A flame in a space shuttle will be a sphere shape instead of a tear shape like we get when gravity acts on it on the ground. The reason for this is that heat rises with gravity because hotter air is thinner than cold air and so the heat off the flame rises and causes the tear shape you see on the ground. In zero gravity, heat doesn't rise but instead radiates in all directions equally, and thus you get a sphere shaped flame (Unless the flame is directed of course).

Answer 6

I'll avoid making the assumption that you didn't know that candles can't burn in space (they can't, since there's no oxygen)

But assuming there was air (say, inside the space station), candles don't burn properly when exposed to weightlessness.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryfaqs/f/firegravity.htm

Answer 7

It wouldn't be able to burn while in space because there is no oxygen to keep the flame burning and it would die out right away.

Answer 8

It looks like nothing.because there's not oxygen to make the candle's flame

Answer 9

A fire needs 3 things; fuel, heat, and oxygen. There is not nearly enough oxygen in space to feed a fire, and it is way too cold.

Answer 10

it looks like nothing because it wouldnt even exist due to it not having oxygen to keep it burning