Our Planet

When the Earth is farthest and closest to the Sun? [Perihelion and Aphelion explained]

The Earth’s journey around the Sun is not a perfectly circular orbit but rather an elliptical one. As a result, our planet experiences variations in its distance from the Sun throughout the year. Two significant events in the Earth’s orbit, known as perihelion and aphelion, mark its closest and farthest points from the Sun, respectively.

Oil does NOT come from Dinosaurs: The Great Oil Misconception

Despite the common myth, crude oil (petroleum) does not come from dinosaurs.

For generations, a popular myth has been fossilized in our collective consciousness: that oil, our critical energy resource, comes from dinosaurs. This age-old notion, often reinforced by popular culture, has turned out to be just that – a myth. As fascinating as the idea of fueling our cars with remnants of T-Rex or Triceratops may seem, the true origin story of oil is vastly different and goes back even further in Earth’s history. Let’s delve into this intriguing tale of geological transformation.

You found Pascal! [Joke about physics]

Blaise Pascal, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, and Blaise Pascal are hanging out one afternoon. Einstein is bored, so he suggests, “Let’s play hide and seek! I’ll be it!”.

Saturn’s rings are no more than 400 million years old, study suggests

Cassini image of Saturn and its rings [October 28, 2016]

A new study led by physicist Sascha Kempf at the University of Colorado Boulder has upended our understanding of Saturn’s iconic rings, suggesting that they may be much younger than previously believed. According to recent research, the majestic rings encircling the gas giant could be no more than a mere 400 million years old. These findings, based on a comprehensive analysis of data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, have ignited a scientific debate and raised intriguing questions about the origin and evolution of Saturn’s beautiful ring system.

Adler Planetarium, the first planetarium in the United States was opened on May 12, 1930

The Adler Planetarium is a public museum and planetarium located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was the first planetarium in the United States (and also in Western Hemisphere) and is one of the oldest in the world. It was founded in 1930 through a donation from Max Adler (1866-1952), a Chicago businessman and philanthropist who was interested in promoting science education and was opened to the public on May 12, 1930.

Breathtaking photo of Deimos and Mars captured by UAE’s Hope Probe

Photo of Deimos and Mars from the United Arab Emirates Hope Probe

United Arab Emirates’ Hope Probe (Arabic: Misbar Al-Amal, al-amal means “hope” in English), which entered Mars’ orbit in February 2021, has captured a breathtaking photo of Mars and its tiny moon Deimos.

Top 12 Tallest Rockets Ever Launched [2023 SpaceX Starship Update]

To be able to reach space, we need rockets. Rocket engines work by action and reaction (“To every action, there is always opposed an equal reaction”, see notes 1) and push rockets forward simply by expelling their exhaust in the opposite direction at high speed and can, therefore, work in the vacuum of space. Space rockets are usually enormous in size because the bigger the rocket is, the more thrust can be produced by its engine and can carry more weight into orbit. Here are the top 12 tallest rockets ever launched in the history of space exploration.

The first in-space satellite repair was performed on April 11, 1984

The first in-space satellite repair: Solar Maximum Mission

The first orbiting satellite to be repaired in space was NASA’s Solar Maximum Mission, which launched on February 14, 1980, to observe solar flares. Just a few months later, in November 1980, one of the satellite’s altitude control fuses failed. It was put in standby mode, and it remained so until Space Shuttle Challenger [STS-41-C] eventually rendezvoused with it on April 11, 1984. The crew of the STS-41-C mission successfully performed the first in-space satellite repair.

The first cell phone call was performed on April 3, 1973

The first cell phone call was made by Martin Cooper in 1973

The first cell phone call was made by Martin Cooper (born December 26, 1928), a researcher at Motorola, on April 3, 1973. Cooper was working on developing the first handheld mobile phone, which he called the DynaTAC. The phone was large and bulky, weighing about 2.5 pounds, and it had a battery life of only about 20 minutes of talk time.

The first weather observation satellite [TIROS-1] was launched on April 1, 1960

Technicians working on the TIROS-1 satellite

On April 1, 1960, the world’s first weather observation satellite (TIROS-1) was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It became operational for 78 days, despite the mission duration being 90 days.