Astronomy

Remembering the planets in order is as easy as remembering the mnemonic device of saying, "My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas." Remember the planets, with or without Pluto, in order...

The planets inside of Earth's orbit, Mercury and Venus, are so near to the Sun that they are often only visible close to sunset and sunrise--especially Mercury. The planets outside of Earth's...

While you can measure directly the size and mass of a planet, you must determine density through calculations. The density of any object is the ratio of its mass to its volume. For planets, this...

Of all the planets and satellites in our solar system, only Earth has an atmosphere that can sustain life. No atmosphere is close to Earth's in composition, and only Venus has an atmosphere even...

The nighttime sky has long fascinated man, leading to scientific discoveries of the eight planets (remember that Pluto was discovered to be a moon) that constitute Earth's solar system. While...

The Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun to make up the Solar System. The nebular theory states that the solar system began as a huge cloud of dust and gas, which then condensed to...

Teachers frequently assign their students projects that deal with the planets in the solar system throughout grade school and even into high school. One such project is to have the student write a...

Planetary alignment can mean different things to different people. Some may view it as a row or close grouping of planets in the night sky, a purely visual phenomenon. A more precise definition...

Pluto was long considered to be ninth planet in our solar system, but in 2006 the International Astronomical Union officially classified it as a dwarf planet. Pluto's orbit around the sun exhibits...

You don't have to be a scientist to enjoy astronomy. The basics are easy to learn, and you can apply them to your own stargazing. The sun, the moon, the planets and the stars are all available...

The Sun is the largest object in the solar system. Its gravitational pull keeps each of the planets in their orbits. The planets follow Kepler's laws, which dictate how they travel around the...

Civilization has known of night "wanderers" in the sky since before the birth of Christ. The ancient Greeks named them planets, and humans have been striving to understand their motion and purpose...

There are eight planets that orbit the central star in the solar system known as the Sun. These planets all revolve around the Sun in somewhat circular orbits and each orbit the Sun in the same...

Sometimes, it seems like the sky is alive at night with all the different types of lights visible. It is easy to recognize many of these lights by determining which ones move and which ones stay...

A common question for curious and observant grade school students is "Can Pluto collide with Neptune?" After all, when the orbits of the planets are seen as a two-dimensional drawing, Pluto's...

Jupiter and Earth don't appear to have anything in common. They are two different kinds of planets. Jupiter is a gas giant with no discernible solid surface, while Earth is a terrestrial planet....

A common school project for children is to make a model of the solar system. These models can be either simple or elaborate in design. If you are helping your child and you decide that you would...

The solar system is big. Everything that happens in it affects Earth, including the energy and solar wind from the Sun and comets that stray away from their own orbits. Everything that makes Earth...

The solar system is comprised of the Sun and all the objects that are orbiting it due to its gravitational influence. This includes the planets and their satellites, smaller "dwarf" planets,...

Outer space has always fascinated you, so it's with much glee you want to create a solar system project. You can make a solar system project that is colorful, fun and represents all the planets...

Humankind continues to wonder whether we are truly alone in the cosmic scheme of existence. People have looked to the heavens throughout the ages and wondered if there is life on other planets. It...

Our solar system is composed of planets, comets and asteroids along with other space debris that orbits the star we call the sun. Formed more than 4 1/2 billion years ago, our solar system is one...

The solar system that Earth is a part of is composed of eight or nine planets, depending upon your point of view. Along with asteroids and comets and dwarf planets on the far outer edges these...

Mercury is the closest of all the planets to the Sun, yet relatively little is known of this world. Hard to observe, it is a speedy planet, circling the Sun much faster than Earth. Very hot and...

The formation of the solar system is a topic of great controversy. While some experts claim it was divine formation, others look to science for their answers. The most common explanation is that...

The five visible planets to the naked eye are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Since ancient times, people have been looking up into the night sky and observing them. Finding and...

Astronomy is a wonderful pasttime for adults and children. The night sky is a plethora of stars that make up interesting constellations. Sometimes you are lucky enough to see falling stars, comets...

Phenomena is a special word that refers to the astrological events of a day. Planetary aspects like conjunct, trine and square are phenomena. Moon phases and solar and lunar eclipses are...

Planets join stars in the night sky and are often indistinguishable from stars when seen with the naked eye. But these objects that orbit our sun are really quite different from stars and with...

The solar system is a wondrous creation filled with planets, moons, asteroids, comets and the sun. Study the solar system up close and personal by creating a model that demonstrates the...