pale blue dot
In his video titled “Why Exomoons Are So Important,” astrophysicist David Kipping passionately elucidates five compelling reasons behind the significance of exploring exomoons. With a career-long dedication to the subject, Kipping artfully dissects the role of exomoons in shaping our understanding of the cosmos. Delving into themes like habitability, the Rare Earth hypothesis, moon formation, …
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Elizabeth Langdon Williams, born in 1879 in Putnam, Connecticut, was more than just an early female graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She played a crucial role in the quest to discover Planet X, now known as Pluto. In an era before the dawn of electronic computers, Elizabeth was a leading figure among …
Moonlit nights have often been the backdrop for tales of mystery and wonder, especially if there’s a full moon. Whether through superstitions or folklore, the moon has been the muse for countless narratives of supernatural occurrences and strange behaviors. But how much of what we’ve heard is truth, and how much is a mere myth? …
In the colossal theater of the cosmos, the idea of Earth’s uniqueness presents an odd phenomenon. Is our home planet a true rarity among the galaxy’s countless stars? Do Earth-like planets, those that share similar size, orbital distance, and sun-like stars as our own, abound in the universe, or do they hold special status as …
Continue reading “Cosmic Oddity: Are Earth-like Planets the True Exotics of the Universe?”
As of June 2023, there are 290 confirmed moons in our solar system. A moon, also known as a natural satellite, is a celestial body that orbits planets, and asteroids. This number includes only the planetary moons (moons orbiting a planet) plus Pluto’s moons. Here is the list of the known planetary moons in the …
Continue reading “Moons of the Solar System: The Complete List [2023 Update]”
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.
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 …
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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 …
The photos of Saturn, with its majestic rings, are a testament to the breathtaking beauty of our solar system. Now, imagine if Earth had a similar feature! The sight of a vibrant ring system surrounding our planet would undoubtedly leave us in awe. The striking contrast of the rings against the blue and green of …
Continue reading “Imagine Earth with Saturn’s Rings [It would offer breathtaking views!]”
As we go about our daily lives, it’s easy to forget that we’re all hurtling through space at incredible speeds. Earth is constantly in motion, rotating on its axis and orbiting around the sun. In fact, we’re all living in a fast-moving spacecraft. But just how fast is our planet moving? What’s the speed of …
![Cassini image of Saturn and its rings [October 28, 2016]](https://cdn-0.ourplnt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Saturn-Cassini-2016-10-28.jpg)
