Tag Archives: Solar System: Jovians

Triton: Neptune’s Interesting Moon

Posted on April 17, 2021 by captivatingcomet

Triton is Neptune’s largest moon with a diameter of 1,680 miles (2,700 kilometers). It was discovered in 1846 by astronomer William Lassell a little over two weeks after Neptune’s discovery. Triton is named after one of Poseidon’s sons; Poseidon is the Greek god equivalent of the Roman god Neptune. Triton is unique in that itContinue reading “Triton: Neptune’s Interesting Moon” Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Triton: Neptune’s Interesting Moon

Scenes from Hubble: Saturn’s Seasons

Posted on March 22, 2021 by allyworthington

Images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope show changing seasons on the gas giant, Saturn. Saturn has a slower orbit than Earth (29 years to orbit the sun!), which makes each “season” on the planet over 7 years long. Similar to Earth, Saturn is tilted on an axis, which affects the intensity of sunlight on sides … Continue reading Scenes from Hubble: Saturn’s Seasons → Continue reading →

Posted in Observables | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Scenes from Hubble: Saturn’s Seasons

How do we name our Solar System?

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Avery Bradley

We all remember learning the mnemonic device in elementary school: My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Noodles (or whatever variation you prefer). Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, the eight planets of our solar system. But what do these names actually mean? How do planets and moons and other stuff inContinue reading “How do we name our Solar System?” Continue reading →

Posted in Moons | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How do we name our Solar System?

Enceladus

Posted on April 7, 2019 by luanaisaac1125

Enceladus is a medium-size moon of Saturn, with a diameter of about 500 km. Its surface temperature is quite chilly, ranging between 32.9 K (-240 degrees Celsius) and 145 K (-128 degrees Celsius); this is partially because of its distance from the Sun, and also because of its highly reflective surface. The entire moon is … Continue reading Enceladus → Continue reading →

Posted in Aliens, Class | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Enceladus

Specific Europa Mission Currently Under Works, Now Named

Posted on April 4, 2017 by njelinek425

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 →

Posted in General, Moons, Space Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Specific Europa Mission Currently Under Works, Now Named

Juno Probe Makes Fourth Passage of Jupiter’s Clouds

Posted on April 4, 2017 by njelinek425

  Last Monday (March 27), NASA’s Juno spacecraft made a historic passage within the vicinity of the cloud tops of Jupiter’s atmosphere, marking its fifth overall flyby of the gas giant and fourth “science pass”, or experimental run. The probe marked its closest point to the planet at 08:52 GMT, coming within 2700 miles of its […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Juno Probe Makes Fourth Passage of Jupiter’s Clouds

Think Saturn’s rings are cool? Think Bigger.

Posted on February 13, 2015 by christophermfitzgerald

Saturn’s rings are large, 175,000 miles across large, but as the old adage goes-bigger is better. Scientists looking at exoplanets have discovered a planet with rings 200 times larger than that of Saturn’s. The planet itself, known as J1407b, is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Exoplanets | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Think Saturn’s rings are cool? Think Bigger.