If you’re looking to colonize another planet & take sparkling wine along, you must consider this.

The best place to drink your sparkling wine is Jupiter and the worst place is the space station. Good thing David Saint-Jacques is back on earth.

As you may recall in my previous article on the science of bubbles I discuss the need of a bubble nucleation site (or a bubble nursery) in the flute in order for bubbles to form.  As the bubble ascends from the bubble nursery it increases in size as it reaches to the surface.

In a follow up article I also mention that tiny bubbles are associated with high quality sparkling wine.  I also mention that the age of the wine impacts the size of the bubbles in your flute of sparkling wine.

But something else influences the size of the bubble in your sparkling wine and that is the same force that keeps our feet firmly planted on terra firma, gravity.  I felt badly for the inhabitants of the space station on NYE as they would not be able to drink sparkling wine while aboard.

Why not you say? Well, without gravity, the bubble would not ascend from the bubble nucleation site but just sit there and grow into a huge bubble, thereby pushing the liquid out of the flute.  A total waste of good wine and a party ruiner too.

On the flip side, the stronger the gravitational pull, the more difficult it is for the bubbles to reach the surface and as a result you get smaller bubbles.

To the government agencies or private companies looking to colonize another planet, I send you this important message: I strongly suggest you consider the best spot to drink sparkling (and keeping those tiny bubbles tiny) over the basic necessities of life (breathing air, temperature, the boring stuff). Based on this important information, your first choice should be Jupiter, after that Saturn, and third Neptune. Pluto would be the worst place so I completely understand why it has been demoted to “dwarf planet”.

Earth is the fourth best spot so it makes the most sense to stay put.

Also because the top three are made up of gas making really difficult to stand on them.