Category Archives: SolarSystem

The Galilean Moons

Posted on April 10, 2013 by rtjobe

The Galilean moons of Jupiter are in order of distance Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. They are the four largest and most prominent of the 67 moons orbiting Jupiter, these four moons are some of the largest moons in the solar system–Callisto and Ganymede are even larger than Mercury, while Io and Europa are smaller […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Moons | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Galilean Moons

It’s OK, Pluto, You’re Not Alone!

Posted on April 10, 2013 by zvgio

A lot of Pluto fans were really upset with Pluto’s demotion from planet to “dwarf planet” back in 2006. I mean what’s not to love about a tiny iceball on the edge of the Kuiper Belt? There is good news though. Despite Pluto’s lowly new title, at least it has some company. The IAU recognizes […] Continue reading →

Posted in Dwarf Planets | Tagged , , | Comments Off on It’s OK, Pluto, You’re Not Alone!

A Comet Heads For Mars

Posted on April 10, 2013 by jacksonlangham

NASA has discovered that there is “small but non-negligible” chance that Comet 2013 A1 will strike Mars in October of 2014. The comet is between 1 to 3 kilometers in […] Continue reading →

Posted in Small SS Objects | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on A Comet Heads For Mars

Drawing Closer to Discovering the Mysteries of Pluto

Posted on April 10, 2013 by AlanL

Right now Pluto is a very mysterious planet. No man-made object has flown by it and so there is not a lot of information on its global geology or chemical composition on the surface. In 2 years however, New Horizons will finally reach the dwarf planet and retrieve valuable data that astronomers have seeked for […] Continue reading →

Posted in Dwarf Planets | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Drawing Closer to Discovering the Mysteries of Pluto

The Planet Formerly Known as Pluto

Posted on April 10, 2013 by marknshirleyvu

I remember that growing up, I was always told that there were 9 planets in our Solar System. I always found Pluto very interesting, and even more so now that it has been demoted from its planet status.  This article provides many entertaining facts about the famous dwarf planet, a few of which I found extremely […] Continue reading →

Posted in Dwarf Planets | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Planet Formerly Known as Pluto

Oxygen on Europa?

Posted on April 9, 2013 by mirandaskunz

Europa, which is one of the four largest moons orbiting Jupiter, is currently one of the top candidates for potential life. Europa’s surface is made of ice, but beneath all this ice, is an ocean of water. This water is likely due to tidal heating caused by Jupiter and is evidenced by the magnetic field […] Continue reading →

Posted in Aliens, Moons | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Oxygen on Europa?

Chemical Activity on Titan

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Will K

  Scientists at NASA now believe that Saturn’s moon Titan is much more chemically active than we previously thought. According to Astronomy Magazine, the found that the “complex organic chemistry that could eventually lead to the building blocks of life extends lower in the atmosphere than previously thought.” This is activity in the lower atmosphere […] Continue reading →

Posted in Moons | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Chemical Activity on Titan

The Galilean Moons of Jupiter

Posted on April 9, 2013 by staunesm

With the constant discovery of more and more objects in space, it is difficult to keep track of the planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and exosolar planets that we already know and love.  Therefore I am using this blog as an … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Moons | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Galilean Moons of Jupiter

Saturn’s Rings

Posted on April 7, 2013 by hannahladendorf13

     I think I speak for a lot of people (or maybe I don’t) but I honestly thought Saturn’s rings were legit rings, made up of a solid material that didn’t break and rotated around Saturn.   It is amazing … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in SolarSystem | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Saturn’s Rings

Triton: The Unexpected Volcanic World

Posted on April 7, 2013 by hannahladendorf13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eXac1DGcjM When we think of volcanic activity, we expect molten lava to come out.  However, this video from the Science Channel explains that instead of lava, Triton actually produces nitrogen gas to the atmospheric as well as “moon dust.”   As … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in SolarSystem | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Triton: The Unexpected Volcanic World