On January 21, 1979, a rare phenomenon occurred in our solar system: Neptune, the 8th planet from the Sun, took over Pluto and became the outermost planet as Pluto moved closer due to their highly elliptical orbits. Pluto was still a planet back then (good old days!).
Category Archives: Astronomy
10 amazing Uranus facts [the most underrated planet in the solar system]
Uranus looks like a featureless blue-green marble from space. Because of this, most people consider the gas giant “boring” and as a result, it receives the least attention from science enthusiasts. But, actually, the planets in our solar system are all fascinating in their own way, and each one has unique features that make it …
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Does the Sun rotate?
Yes, the sun rotates on its axis. The sun is a giant ball of gas and plasma, and like most objects in space, it rotates. The sun takes about 25-35 days to complete one rotation on its axis, depending on the latitude. This rotation also plays a role in the creation of the sun’s magnetic …
Why stars, planets, and moons are round while comets and asteroids are not? [Explained]
Stars, planets, and moons are round because of the force of gravity acting on them. Gravitational forces cause matter to clump together, and the more mass an object has, the stronger its gravitational forces will be. When a large amount of mass is concentrated in a single object, such as a star or planet, the …
Will the Sun become a black hole?
No, the Sun will not become a black hole. Black holes are incredibly dense objects that are formed when very massive stars collapse in on themselves at the end of their lives. The Sun is not massive enough to become a black hole. Instead, it will eventually exhaust its supply of hydrogen fuel and expand …
Super blue blood moon explained [What is it and how Super blue blood moon occurs]
The Super blue blood moon is a rare celestial phenomenon. It is made up of three coinciding events. A supermoon is a full moon when our satellite is at its closest (hence it appears bigger in the sky). A blue moon refers to an “extra” full moon, whereas a year that usually has 12 full …
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Why Pluto is not a planet anymore? [Explained]
Since 2006, Pluto, once the ninth planet in our Solar System is not classified as a planet. Here’s why.
‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object in our solar system was detected on October 19, 2017
‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object to visit our solar system was first detected on October 19, 2017, by the University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS1 telescope.
How fast do meteorites hit the ground?
When a meteoroid, a rocky or metallic body from outer space enters Earth’s atmosphere, it’s called a meteor. If it’s large enough, it can hit the Earth’s surface with enormous speed. It is then termed a meteorite. But, how fast do meteorites hit the ground?
James Webb Space Telescope captures amazing images of Neptune’s rings [and its moons!]
Using its near-infrared camera, the James Webb Space Telescope captured amazing images of Neptune and its rings. Thanks to the newly released images, we now see Neptune’s rings for the first time since 1989, when Voyager 2 performed the first flyby to the gas giant.
