Tag Archives: Solar System

Why Pluto is Not a Planet

Posted on April 8, 2013 by indianwm

This informative video talks about Pluto, from discovery to why it is no longer considered a planet, but a dwarf planet. The discovery of Pluto was in 1930 by a man named Clyde Tombaugh in Arizona. Since this time Pluto has been classified as a Dwarf Planet. It lays in the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune […] Continue reading →

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Why is Europa so Awesome?

Posted on April 7, 2013 by fathomingthestars

A lot of the science community is excited about the possibility of life of Mars.  But, as we know, the vast majority of Mars’s atmosphere is composed of carbon dioxide and what water it does have is frozen in its polar ice caps.  An arguably much more exciting destination in our own Solar System is […] Continue reading →

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Life on Mars?

Posted on March 20, 2013 by werdercj

Recently, we’ve been emphasizing comparative planetology in our work.  This has prompted studies of each planet in our solar system, which made it clear that many of our questions remain unanswered.  We know that Mars had a warmer, wetter period billions of years ago, and have much evidence indicative of abundant liquid water flows in […] Continue reading →

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GRAIL Maps the Gravity of the Moon

Posted on March 20, 2013 by JT McJunkins

  Twin NASA probes orbiting the moon for the Gravity Recovery and Interior Labority (GRAIL) mission have created the most highly detailed gravity field map of any celestial body. Pictured above, this map reveals an abundance of features includ… Continue reading →

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Mars Colonization: Would You Go?

Posted on March 19, 2013 by mirandaskunz

A recent survey by the Huffington Post found that 7% of people would volunteer for a one-way mission to Mars. It also found that 15% of people thought it was somewhat or very likely that humans would establish a colony on Mars within their lifetime. If a colony was established, there was a lot of […] Continue reading →

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Exploring Climate Change in Google Earth

Posted on March 19, 2013 by mirandaskunz

The video below is an introduction to a series of videos that utilize Google Earth to inform viewers of problems involving climate change and global warming. The “tours” can be downloaded here. These tours are very informative and allow the user to pause them to explore the Google Earth content on their own. I think […] Continue reading →

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The 8 Wonders of the Solar System

Posted on March 19, 2013 by AlanL

This site shows us the 8 wonders of the solar system and the amazing sights explorers would encounter if they could ever travel to each location. This list includes Jupiter’s red spot which could fit two Earth’s inside of it and the peaks of eternal light which is the only known region in the solar […] Continue reading →

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The Sound of the Solar System!!

Posted on March 18, 2013 by sharpew

Recently I have started a new habit before bed, I try to watch one TED talk a night. I’ve really enjoyed this experience, and I have learned a lot about things I otherwise would never come across. I really love the variation in the talks, and it reminds me how much knowledge is out there! A few […] Continue reading →

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Life On Titan?

Posted on March 17, 2013 by surujdeka

We may not have to look very far from our solar system for habitable worlds that can sustain life. We already know that Mars had conditions suitable for life in its early years and there is a possibility that Venus might have been the same way. But scientists are now excited about the possibility that […] Continue reading →

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Venus

Posted on March 17, 2013 by fathomingthestars

Venus is a unique planet among the terrestrial worlds and possesses  many features that make it an interesting planet to study.  Often called a sister planet of Earth because of the two planet’s similar sizes and compositions, Venus is, in some ways, a very different planet from Earth.  To start, Venus is completely inhospitable to life, with […] Continue reading →

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