The European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter , launched on February 10, is going where no space probe has gone before: over the north and south poles of the Sun. Six decades into the space age, robots have roamed the deserts of Mars, swooped past the rings of Saturn, and hopped across rubble-strewn asteroids. And yet, strange as it sounds, Solar Orbiter is the first mission that will show us what the Sun looks like from above and below.
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In fact, we've been doing it since the very earliest days of astronomy and astrology. The path that the Sun follows through the sky over the course of the year is known as the ecliptic. It is defined, naturally, by the orientation of Earth's orbit. Since all of the other planets are coplanar with Earth, they follow very nearly the same path through the sky as the Sun does--that is, they all track the ecliptic as well.
This may worth something:
Why is NASA Sending Dragonfly to Titan? Here are Five Reasons – NASA Solar System Exploration
Titan, with its methane seas and orange smog, is in some ways the most similar world to Earth that we have found. Though it’s merely a moon tethered by gravity to its cosmic ruler, Saturn, Titan has all the trappings of a planet, including clouds, rain, lakes and rivers, and even a subsurface ocean of salty water.
Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens discovered Titan in 1655, calling it simply “Luna Saturni,” or Saturn’s moon. It was later renamed after a group of mythological Greek deities called Titans.
Examining ice giants of our solar system -- ScienceDaily
Far-flung Uranus and Neptune -- the ice giants of our solar system -- are as mysterious as they are distant. Soon after its launch in 2021, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will change that by unlocking secrets of the atmospheres of both planets.
The cold and remote giant planets Uranus and Neptune are nicknamed the "ice giants" because their interiors are compositionally different from Jupiter and Saturn, which are richer in hydrogen and helium, and are known as the "gas giants." The ice giants are also much smaller than their gaseous cousins, being intermediate in size between terrestrial planets and the gas giants. They represent the least-explored category of planet in our solar system.
News from NASA: Solar System Lecture | Maitland Public Library | Events, Learning | Orlando Weekly
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Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto revolutionized knowledge of our solar system
"What Tombaugh didn't know then was that Planet X would launch the era of exploration in the third zone of the solar system," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "Science builds on science, and this discovery helped pave the way for New Horizons' exploration of this uncharted region."
The spacecraft flew past Pluto and its five moons on July 14, 2015, coming to within 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometers) of the surface and delivering the now iconic images of Pluto and its heart, as well as all five of its moons: Charon, Nix, Hydra, Styx and Kerberos. The flyby revolutionized humankind's understanding of the Pluto system and dwarf planets.
Stargazing: A look at astronomical myths | Announcements | fredericksburg.com
EVERY YEAR around this time, I am reminded of some common misconceptions in astronomy, beginning with eggs and the first day of spring. Here are some of the most frequent ones I've experienced, along with their clarifications:
An egg can be balanced on its end only during the vernal (spring) equinox. An egg can be balanced on any day of the year, but it takes some patience. It has nothing to do with Earth's orbital position or the gravitational effects of the sun and moon, so save an egg and enjoy the first day of spring.
What Is More Effective Emissions-Wise, Solar Panels Or Trees? | CleanTechnica
There has been a lot of discussion on the web on choosing between solar PV systems or trees in order to reduce one's carbon emissions. Even beyond comparison to solar systems, quantifying the value of a tree has been coming up consistently nowadays. Very recently, the Supreme Court of India pulled authorization for some projects in West Bengal which involve trees being axed.
In this post I would like to share my thoughts on this with you. For simplicity, by emissions I am only referring to greenhouse gas emissions.
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