Category Archives: Moons

Odd One Out

  Neptune’s moon Triton is a peculiar world in the Solar System. It just doesn’t fit with any solar system formation theory and the mysteries still remain. Why does the moon orbit backwards? Why is the surface so smooth? Is there a subsurface ocean? If a collision caused the backwards orbit, why does Triton still … Continue reading Odd One Out Continue reading

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Facts About Callisto

Callisto is one of Jupiter’s moons, and it is one of the four Galilean moons. Compared to Earth’s Moon, Callisto’s diameter is about 1.4 times that of the Moon and 1.5 times in mass. The distance between its parent planet, Jupiter, and Callisto is about 5 times the distance between Earth and our Moon. From … Continue reading Facts About Callisto Continue reading

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The Great Titan

Titan Picture Source Titan is Saturn’s Largest moon (the second largest moon in the solar system), and was discovered in 1655. Titan is almost the size of the largest moon, which is Ganymede (Jupiter’s largest moon). However, despite their similar size and relatively similar distance from the Sun, Titan has characteristics that Ganymede does not. … Continue reading The Great Titan Continue reading

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Voyager 1

Voyager 1 is currently the farthest spacecraft we have ever sent out. It was launched in 1977 and is currently 141 AU or 13 billion miles away from Earth right now. It is traveling at 38,000 mph but has not even travel a full light day yet. The original purpose of the Voyager missions was … Continue reading Voyager 1 Continue reading

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Blog 4: The Sirens of Titan

One of my favorite novels is The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. As the title suggests a portion of the novel takes place on Saturn’s moon Titan, though this fiction is more concerned with the philosophical and not the realistic astronomical. I highly recommend it to fans of science fiction. Discovered in 1655, Titan is Saturn’s … Continue reading Blog 4: The Sirens of Titan Continue reading

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What if the Earth had 2 moons

I know what you’re thinking so let’s get that out of the way. High tide would be a lot higher. Whenever the two moons are aligned on the same side of Earth, their combined gravitational pull would increase the tide significantly. This would probably push civilization further inland, as living near a coast or river … Continue reading What if the Earth had 2 moons Continue reading

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Blog 1: Total Solar Eclipse 2017

This image was made by the NASA Visualization Explorer to show the path of totality of the 2017 solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. As the moon blocks the sun, it casts on a shadow on earth that travels west to east very quickly due … Continue reading Blog 1: Total Solar Eclipse 2017 Continue reading

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Blog 1: Total Solar Eclipse 2017

This image was made by the NASA Visualization Explorer to show the path of totality of the 2017 solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. As the moon blocks the sun, it casts on a shadow on earth that travels west to east very quickly due … Continue reading Blog 1: Total Solar Eclipse 2017 Continue reading

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Blog 8 – Life on Enceladus?

Several Jovian moons are candidates for extraterrestrial life.  One of these is Enceladus, a medium-sized moon of Saturn.  Like Europa, there is strong evidence for a subsurface ocean, which is likely 30-40 kilometers below the moon’s surface, and then extends down another 30 kilometers.  Due to the suspected ocean’s thickness, it is more likely that […] Continue reading

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Specific Europa Mission Currently Under Works, Now Named

In the quest to find habitable bodies, Jupiter’s moon Europa has been a high priority on the exploration list due to its liquid saltwater ocean underneath its ice crust. Three key ingredients for life must be present in order for biological activity to take place: liquid water, chemical ingredients, and energy sources able to enable […] Continue reading

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