Planets
Mercury The First Planet
The Planet Mercury
Mercury is the first planet and I would say the planet that is most often ignored. Is this because it looks like the Moon? Are we only interested in planets with atmospheres (like Venus or Saturn) rather than rocky objects littered with hundreds of thousands of craters? Take a look at the picture above. This photo of Mercury was taken by Nasa’s Mariner 10 spacecraft in 1974.
Clouds of Jupiter Made of Hydrogen and Helium
The Great Red Spot
The first thing you see when you look at the atmosphere of Jupiter is the bands of dark and light clouds as well as swirls, waves and oval spots. The patterns are mezmerizing! So what causes this complex mixture of colors and shapes?
The Rings of Planet Saturn: Particles of Water Ice
Saturn's Rings - Highlighted by the Eclipsed Sun
Did you know that Saturn’s rings are made up of particles of water ice? Saturn has the most extensive and complicated ring system of any planet in our solar system. These beautiful rings are primarily made up of particles of ice ranging in size from micrometers to meters. They also contain dust and other chemicals.
The Moons of the Planet Mars: Phobos and Deimos
Since the last post focused on the Planet Mars, I thought it would be worth highlighting the two tiny moons that light up the Martian night sky. The names of the moons of Mars are Phobos and Deimos.
Spirit Rover Status
The Spirit Rover on Mars
You know it had to happen sooner or later! After six years of performing valuable scientific research on the planet Mars, the Spirit Rover has found its final parking spot. On January 26, 2010, NASA designated the once mobile robot a “stationary science platform.”
