Daily Archives: May 8, 2021

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and by far the largest in our Solar System. It’s diameter is over 11 times that of Earth and it has 318 times Earth’s mass! Jupiter was first spotted by Galileo Galilei on January 8th, 1610 using a telescope. For many years after its discovery, people thought that Jupiter was the only planet in our Solar System. Learn more about this gas giant in this article!

Jupiter’s discovery

It is widely believed that Jupiter was first spotted by the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei on January, 8th 1610. However, there are records which date back to as early as July of 1609 which suggests that another astronomer by name of Simon Marius may have been the first person to observe Jupiter. Regardless of who actually made the discovery, it is clear that the telescope played a vital role in allowing humans to finally lay their eyes on this distant planet.

Jupiter’s Naming

Jupiter’s name also has an interesting story behind it. The Romans named this planet after their god Jupiter (or Jove), who was the king of gods in their mythology. Similarly, the Greeks named this planet after Zeus, who held the same position in their pantheon of gods.

Diameter and mass

Jupiter is sometimes called a failed star because it is so large and has such a low density. If it were about 80 times more massive, it would have become a star instead of a planet.

As the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter has some very impressive physical characteristics. It has a diameter of almost 143,000 kilometers and is almost three times as massive as all the other planets combined! Even though Jupiter is huge, it only has about one-tenth the density of Earth. This means that if you could find a giant piece of Jupiter to stand on, you would weigh less than you do on Earth! It has a mass 317.8 times that of Earth.

Composition

Most of Jupiter is made up of hydrogen and helium, with a small amount of methane, ammonia, and water vapor. Jupiter’s core is thought to be made up of heavier elements, including iron and nickel. It has a strong magnetic field that traps charged particles from the Sun. These particles make up Jupiter’s radiation belt.

Jupiter’s Climate

Jupiter is very cold. The temperature on the surface of Jupiter is about -145 degrees Celsius. It gets even colder as you go further down into Jupiter’s atmosphere. The temperatures can get as low as -210 degrees Celsius! Jupiter’s atmosphere is about 100 times thicker than Earth’s atmosphere.

Jupiter’s atmosphere is made up of hydrogen and helium, with a small amount of methane, ammonia, and water vapor. The atmospheric pressure at Jupiter’s surface is about twice as high as the pressure at Earth’s surface. Jupiter has some interesting weather patterns, including dark spots called “eye storms” and bright areas called “hot spots.”

Jupiter’s orbit & Rotation

Jupiter’s orbit is about 780 million kilometers from the Sun. It takes Jupiter about 12 Earth years (4,333 Earth days) to make one orbit around the Sun. Jupiter has the shortest day in the solar system. One day on Jupiter takes only about 10 hours. It is also huge! It has more than twice the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined!

Moons

Jupiter has 80 known moons, including the four large Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. These moons were first discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. Jupiter’s moon Io is the most volcanically active body in our Solar System. Europa is thought to have a subsurface ocean of water, which could potentially support life!

Planetary ring system

Jupiter also has a faint planetary ring system. This ring is made up of dust particles that are thought to be left over from comets or asteroids that have been broken up by Jupiter’s gravity.

Mars Observation & visit

Jupiter can be seen with the naked eye, but it is best observed using a telescope. It is often the first planet that people observe when they start learning about astronomy!

A few spacecraft have visited Jupiter, including NASA’s Pioneer and Voyager missions. In 1995, the Galileo spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter and studied the planet for eight years. In 2016, NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter and is currently studying the planet’s interior.

Conclusion| Largest Planet in the Solar System

Jupiter is an amazing planet with a lot to offer! We hope you enjoyed learning more about it! Stay tuned for more articles on Jupiter and other planets in our Solar System! Thanks for reading!

There is something about the red planet that has always captured our imagination. Perhaps it’s the fact that it is the closest planet to Earth or its striking color. Mars has always been a source of fascination for astronomers and scientists, and continues to be a subject of study today. In this article, we will take a closer look at Mars – its history, discovery, physical characteristics, and more. We hope you find it as interesting as we do!

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest planet in the solar system. Named after the Roman god of war, it is often described as the “Red Planet” because of its reddish appearance. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the valleys, deserts, and polar caps of Earth. The planet may have gotten its red color from iron oxide, or rust, on its surface.

Mars discovery and names

The first recorded observation of Mars was by Egyptian astronomers in the second millennium BC. In 1609, Galileo Galilei observed Mars with a telescope, becoming the first person to do so. In 1757, Immanuel Kant proposed the name “Mars” for the planet in his treatise Cosmographia.

The red planet has been known by many names throughout history. The Babylonians called it “Nergal,” after their god of war. The Greeks called it “Ares,” after their god of war. The Romans called it “Mars,” after their god of war.

Mars diameter and mass

Mars has a diameter of 6,780 kilometers, which makes it the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury. It is approximately half of Earth’s diameter. It has a mass that is about 11% of Earth’s mass.

Composition

Mars is a terrestrial planet that formed about four and a half billion years ago. Mars is believed to have formed from the same disk of gas and dust that formed the other planets in the solar system. The composition of Mars is similar to that of Earth, with a rocky surface and an iron core.

It has many volcanoes, canyons, and mountains. The tallest mountain on Mars is Olympus Mons, which is about three times the height of Mount Everest. Mars also has the largest canyon in the solar system, Valles Marineris.

Climate

Mars has a thin atmosphere that is mostly made up of carbon dioxide. There is also some water vapor and nitrogen in the atmosphere. The atmospheric pressure on Mars is only about one percent of that on Earth. It has a thin atmosphere and no oceans and is covered in red-orange dust.

The temperature on Mars can range from very cold to very hot, depending on where you are on the planet. The average temperature is about -60 degrees Celsius. However, in some areas near the equator, the temperature can be as high as 20 degrees Celsius.

Moons

Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, which were discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall. Mars also has a very thin planetary ring system that was discovered in 1977 by Voyager spacecraft.

Orbit and rotation

Mars orbits the Sun at a distance of about 228 million kilometers. It takes Mars about 24 hours to complete one rotation, and about 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun once.

Mars Observation & visit

As the red planet closest to Earth, Mars has been a frequent target of early telescopes. It was first observed by the naked eye by ancient Egyptians and Babylonians. In 1609, Galileo Galilei became the first person to view Mars through a telescope. He observed changes in its appearance that were likely due to seasonal dust storms. In 1877, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli used a telescope to map Mars’s surface features. He named some of the darker areas “continents” and the lighter regions “seas.”

The first spacecraft to fly by Mars was NASA’s Mariner IV in 1965. The Soviet Union’s Mars probes, beginning withMarsnik I in 1960, were the first to impact Mars’s surface or enter orbit around the planet. The U.S. Viking landers deployed to Mars in 1976 were the first American spacecraft to land on another planet. The Soviet Union’s Phobos I and II missions were launched in 1988 to study Mars’s two small moons, Phobos and Deimos.

The first rover to land on Mars was the Soviet Union’s Lunokhod I in 1971. The U.S. Pathfinder mission placed a small rover, Sojourner, on the Martian surface in 1997. The Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed in 2004 and began exploring opposite sides of Mars. In 2012, NASA’s Curiosity rover touched down in Gale Crater, where it is still actively exploring the Martian surface.

In 2003, Mars made its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years. This event sparked a new wave of public interest in the red planet. A number of private companies have since been founded with the goal of sending humans to Mars within the next few decades.

What makes Mars so interesting to us?

Mars is a fascinating planet for many reasons. One reason is its proximity to Earth. Mars is also the only planet in our solar system that has seasons like Earth. Additionally, Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons. Finally, Mars is home to the Curiosity Rover, which has been exploring the Martian surface since 2012. Mars is a planet that we continue to learn more about every day. And who knows? Maybe one day we’ll even be able to visit it.

What are your thoughts on Mars? Have you ever dreamed of visiting the red planet? Let us know in the comments below! Thanks for reading!

There’s no place like home. And, for humans, there’s no planet quite like Earth. Our home planet is the only one we know of that has an atmosphere capable of supporting life. It’s also the fifth largest planet in our solar system, and it has a diameter of nearly 12,742 km! In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Earth – its history, physical characteristics, climate and more. We’ll also explore some of the amazing things that have been discovered about our planet – including its moon and ring system!

Humans have been observing and studying Earth for centuries. In fact, the first recorded observation of Earth was made by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle in 350 BC! However, it wasn’t until much later that scientists began to understand our planet’s true size and composition.

Earth’s naming

The English word “Earth” is an cognate of the Dutch word aarde and the old Saxon word ertha. The name ground was given by early Middle English speakers. It has been referred to as “the World” since Old English, which was used before international voyages became more common in late medieval times. “The World” was also used to mean “the material universe”, a meaning which is still retained in phrases such as “the world of atoms”. By the mid-20th century, this latter usage had largely fallen out of common usage in most parts of the world.

Earth’s diameter

It wasn’t until the early 1800s that scientists accurately measured Earth’s diameter. And, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that they determined its mass. Today, we know that Earth has a diameter of nearly 12,742 km and a mass of almost six trillion metric tons!

Composition

Earth’s internal structure is also fascinating. Our planet has a core made of iron and nickel, surrounded by a mantle of rock. The mantle is in turn surrounded by a thin crust of solid rock. Earth was formed about four and a half billion years ago from a cloud of dust and gas. The majority of our planet is made up of iron, oxygen, silicon and magnesium.

Climate and temperature

Earth’s climate is also varied, ranging from frigid polar regions to tropical rainforests. However, the majority of the planet has a moderate climate.

The temperature on Earth varies widely, depending on where you are on the planet. However, the average temperature is a comfortable 59 degrees Fahrenheit!

Orbits

Earth orbits around the sun at a distance of 93 million miles. Our planet takes 365.26 days to complete one orbit – this is what we call a “year”!

Natural satellite

Earth has one natural satellite – our moon! The moon orbits Earth at a distance of about 238,000 miles and completes one orbit every 27.32 days.

Planetary ring system

Earth also has a planetary ring system made up of dust and rocks. However, this ring system is very faint and difficult to see.

There’s something special about Venus. It’s the second planet from the sun, and it shares many similarities with Earth. But there are also some major differences- which make Venus an interesting topic of study. In this article, we will explore some of the most interesting facts about Venus. We’ll discuss its discovery, naming, physical characteristics, and more! So if you’re interested in learning more about our neighboring planet, keep reading!

Venus is similar to Earth in many ways. For example, it has a very similar diameter, mass, and density. Additionally, both planets have iron cores, and rocky surfaces, and are mostly composed of silicate rocks and metals. However, there are also some major differences between the two planets. For instance, Venus has a much longer day than Earth- a “day” on Venus lasts for 243 Earth days! Additionally, the atmosphere of Venus is very different from that of Earth. It is much hotter and more dense, and is composed mostly of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. Venus is the only planet in our solar system that rotates clockwise.

Venus discovery and name

The planet Venus was probably known to ancient civilizations such as the Babylonians and Sumerians. It is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon, so it would have been hard to miss. The Babylonians called it Ishtar, the goddess of love and beauty, while the Sumerians knew it as Ninsar, the goddess of plants and fertility.

The first recorded observation of Venus was made in 1609 by Galileo Galilei. At the time, Galileo was testing a new telescope that he had invented and pointing it at the sky. He observed that Venus went through phases, just like the Moon. This was proof that Venus orbited around the Sun, and not around Earth as was previously thought.

Galileo also noticed that Venus was always close to the Sun in the sky. This led him to believe that Venus might be ‘the morning star’ or ‘the evening star’. These are actually two different names for the same thing- the planet Venus when it is visible in the morning or evening sky.

The name ‘Venus’ comes from the Roman goddess of love and beauty, who was also known as Aphrodite in Greek mythology. Venus was the goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, and prosperity. She was often depicted as a beautiful woman with long hair and wings.

Venus surface

The surface of Venus is very different from that of Earth. It is covered in a thick atmosphere which makes it difficult to see the surface features. The atmosphere also causes the temperature on Venus to be much higher than on Earth, making it one of the hottest planets in the solar system. The surface of Venus is also covered in volcanic features, and there is evidence of past volcanic activity.

The atmosphere of Venus is made up of 96% carbon dioxide, and the atmospheric pressure is about 90 times that of Earth. This makes Venus’s atmosphere very dense and difficult to breathe for humans. The dense atmosphere also causes a greenhouse effect. This makes it the hottest planet in the solar system, with an average surface temperature of about 465 degrees Celsius (870 degrees Fahrenheit).

Venus moons

Venus doesn’t have any moons. This is likely because, when Venus was forming, it was bombarded by large objects that broke up any potential moons that might have been forming. The lack of a moon also means that there’s no planetary ring system around Venus.

This makes Venus quite different from other planets in our solar system- most of which have at least one moon. The exception is Mercury, which also doesn’t have any moons.

The lack of a moon means that Venus doesn’t have the same kind of tides that we see on Earth. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon on the oceans. Without a moon, there are no tides on Venus.

This might seem like a small difference, but it actually has a big impact on the climate of Venus. On Earth, the tides help to circulate ocean water around the globe. This circulation helps to moderate the Earth’s climate by redistributing heat around the planet. Without this heat redistribution, Venus would be a much hotter planet

Venus gravity

The gravity on Venus is much weaker than it is on Earth. This is due to the fact that Venus is much smaller than Earth. The weaker gravity means that Venus has a very thin atmosphere. The atmosphere of Venus is made up mostly of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. There is very little water vapor in the atmosphere of Venus.

Venus orbit

Did you know that every day on Venus lasts longer than a year? That’s because Venus rotates very slowly- in fact, it takes 243 Earth days to complete one rotation. And, since one day on Venus is equivalent to 243 Earth days, that means a year on Venus lasts about 224.701 Earth days.

Venus orbits the sun every 224.701 Earth days, spending about 18.75 days inside each sign of the zodiac. It is closer to the sun than any other planet, and its orbit is slightly tilted with respect to Earth’s orbit. This means that Venus appears to travel in a backward direction when viewed from Earth.

Venus is often referred to as the “morning star” or the “evening star.” It is bright enough to be seen in the daytime, but it is usually more visible in the evening hours, after sunset.

Venus Observation & visit

In the past, Venus has been difficult to observe due to its dense atmosphere. However, recent technological advances have allowed us to learn more about this fascinating planet. For example, we can now use infrared telescopes to study Venus’s surface.

There have also been a few robotic missions to Venus. In 1975, the Soviet Union launched the Venera missions, which were a series of robotic spacecraft that landed on Venus. These missions sent back the first images from the surface of Venus.

In 1961, the Soviet Union launched the first-ever spacecraft to Venus- Venera- which successfully transmitted data back to Earth for approximately 50 minutes before being destroyed by the extreme conditions on the surface of Venus. Since then, numerous other spacecraft have been sent to Venus and we have learned a great deal about the planet. For example, we now know that the surface temperature on Venus can reach up to 480 degrees Celsius!

More recently, in 2006, the European Space Agency launched the Venus Express mission. This was a orbiter that studied Venus’s atmosphere and surface. The data from this mission has helped us.

Conclusion| Amazing Facts about Venus

If you’re interested in learning more about Venus, there are plenty of resources available. In addition to numerous books and scientific articles, there are also some great websites and online videos about the planet. So why not take some time to learn more about our fascinating “sister planet”?