achancetomakeatripintospacewithmyfriendLiYanping,anastronomer.Wevisitedthemooninourspaceship!Beforeweleave,LiYanpingexplainedtomethattheforeceofthegravitywouldchangethreetimesonourjourneyandthatthefirstchangewouldbethemostpowerful.Thenwewereoff.Astherocketroseintotheair,wewerepushedbackintoourseatsbecauseweweretryingtoescapethepulloftheearth’sgravity.Itwassohardthatwecouldnotsayanythingtoeachother.GraduallytheweightlessenedandIwasabletotalktohim.“Whyisthespaceshipnotfallingbacktotheearth?OntheearthifIfallfromatreeIwillfalltoground.”Iasked.“Wearetoofarfromtheearthnowtofeelitspull,“heexplained,“sowefeelasifthereisnogravityatall.Whenwegetclosertothemoon,weshallfeelitsgravitypullingus,butitwillnotbeasstrongapullastheearth’s.“Icheeredupimmediatelyandfloatedweightlesslyaroundinourspaceshipcabinwatchingtheearthbecomesmallerandthemoonlarger.Whenwegotthere,Iwantedtoexploreimmediately.“Comeon,”Isaid.“Ifyouareright,mymasswillbelessthanontheearthbecausethemoonissmallerandIwillbeabletomovemorefreely.ImightevengrowtallerifIstayherelongenough.Ishallcertainlyweighless!”Ilaughedandclimbeddownthestepsfromthespaceship.ButwhenItriedtostepforward,IfoundIwascarriedtwiceasfarasontheearthandfellover.“Ohdear,”Icried,“walkingdoesneedabitofpracticenowthatgravityhaschanged.”AfterawhileIgotthehangofitandwebegantoenjoyourselves.Leavingthemoon’sgravitywasnotaspainfulasleavingtheearth’s.Butreturningtotheearthwasveryfrightening.Wewatched,amazedasfirebrokeoutontheoutsideofthespaceshipastheearth’sgravityincreased.Againwewerepushedbackhardintoourseatsaswecamebacktoland.“Thatwasveryexhaustingbutveryexcitingtoo,”Isaid.“NowIknowmuchmoreaboutgravity!Doyouthinkwecouldbisitsomestarsnexttime?”“Ofcourse,”hesmiled,“whichstarwouldyouliketogoto?”CaughtbyablackholeThespaceshipwarnedLiYanpingandmetobereadyaswewereapproachingthe“blackhole”.Wecouldseesomefaintlightsaroundwhatlookedlikeanemptyspace.LiYanpingsaid,“Thatemptyholeislikeamouthalwaysneedingtobefed.Thoselightsarethinsthatarebeingpulledintotimebythegravityo