The Nine Planets
Since antiquity, man has looked to the heavens for answers. Today, through technological advancements and the discoveries of great minds, we have a more thorough understanding of the heavens than ever before. But with space as expansive as it is, and our technological capabilities perhaps still relatively limited, there is far more to know.
Through ongoing missions such as the International Space Station and other spacecraft laboring on long past their anticipated lifetimes, we learn more every day. If you're interested in this fascinating field of study, we've provided a list of some great resources to start your research of the basics.
The Solar System
The Big Bang Theory: The widely accepted theory for the birth of the universe. It is based on “Hubble’s Law,” the idea that the universe is ever expanding, and that this movement pulls galaxies, stars, particles, and all other bodies within it further and further apart.
The Birth of Our Solar System: A description of how astronomers believe our solar system was formed in the wake of a supernova. Also included is an account of the physical evolution of earth from a hot, uninhabitable orb to the life-sustaining planet it is today.
The Solar System: An interactive map or our solar system—our sun, planets, asteroids, comets, and “satellites and space junk”. It includes a brief description of each as well as some of the terms integral to understanding our cosmic neighborhood.
Possible Life-Supporting Planetary Bodies: This article lists the possible candidates for the discovery of alien life on the moons and planets of our solar system. Only one planet is in the running, but four of Saturn’s and Jupiter’s moons display what could be just the right combination for sustaining life.
NASA’s Photojournal: Various images taken from and of space and its residents. See pictures of planets and other astronomical bodies taken through a wide spectrum of equipment, from infrared images of Jupiter to a telescope-captured snapshot of the North American nebula.
Early Astronomy: Ancient interpretations, analyses, and beliefs held by the first astronomers. Early calculations were used to create remarkably accurate calendars and influenced structures such as Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.
The Nine Planets
Our Extraterrestrial Neighbors: An overview of our solar system as well as an interactive tour of our neighboring planets, moons, and other astronomical objects. Each overview includes actual images or renderings of the object as well as brief descriptions, a list of vital statistics, and the physical characteristics of each.
NASA’s Solar System: NASA’s compendium of information on our solar system. Each planet selection includes general facts, recent articles, and NASA’s future exploratory, interactive, or brainstorming plans.
The Smithsonian Institute’s Solar System: The Smithsonian’s online source for examining each planet and as well as a tool to compare them along some of their main physical variants. This site also includes some of the space and earth-bound equipment used to explore and analyze our universe’s mysteries.
Pluto’s Demotion: In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefined the definition of a “planet.” By this new definition, Pluto was re-categorized from a planet to a dwarf planet and thus altered our solar system’s planet population by one.
A New Planet?: Scientists’ discovery of what could restore us to our original nine-planet system. This gas giant is hidden behind Pluto in the outer reaches of our solar system. Tyche may become our ninth, and largest planetary addition.
Small Bodies
Small Bodies: A brief overview and definition of the small bodies found in our solar system. These small bodies include objects not defined as planets, dwarf planets, or moons, such as comets, asteroids, the Oort Cloud, and the Kuiper Belt.
Asteroids and Comets: A further description of asteroids and comets, the remnants of the supernova that created our solar system. This article touches on the arguable differences between the two.
Potentially Hazardous Asteroids: A list of potentially hazardous asteroids—asteroids that could present a danger to earth. NASA charts 1212 such asteroids with images of their path in relation to the earth’s orbit.
Short and Long-Period Comets: A look at the differences between short and long period comets. It is believed that the two originate from two different regions of our solar system—the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud, respectively.
Meteors and Meteorites: An overview of meteors and meteorites. This page includes information on the types that have been found, a few documented impacts, as well as a chart that outlines the estimated affects that meteorites of various sizes might have on earth.
Space Crafts and Missions for Planetary Discovery
Five Successful Explorer Crafts: Brief bios on five successful, un-manned explorer spacecrafts. Sent out to destinations within our solar system that man cannot yet venture. Each outlasted its projected lifespan while executing its mission and continued on to complete others, providing invaluable information its creators had not originally anticipated.
Significant Planetary Science Missions: A list of past and current spacecrafts and their successes. It includes only the crafts that have directly contributed to scientific discovery, starting with the USSR’s, Luna 2, in 1959.
The EPOXI Mission: The current mission plan of the former spacecraft, Deep Impact. In 2007, NASA launched the EPOXI Mission—the acronym is a combination of EPOCh (Extrasolar Planet Observations and Characterization) and DIXI (Deep Impact Extended Investigation). It includes several earth flybys, examination of extrasolar bodies, and close observation of Comet Hartley 2.
The International Space Station: Homepage for the multi-national collaboration, the ISS. Astronauts stationed on the ISS have been conducting experiments in many different fields of science, including intense observation of the long-term effects of life in space. These discoveries will aid in future explorations that may require extended periods in space such as colonization possibilities or visits deep into space.
Evidence of Man’s Reach Into Space: Photos of the physical evidence left behind by man-made spacecraft on other planets and moons. This article shows navigational tracks left on Mars as well as the location of the Lunokhod 1 rover, a spacecraft that has been lost since 1971.
NASA’s Future Plans: NASA outlines its future mission proposals for planetary science in this decadal report. Dependent on budget, NASA hopes to launch several large-scale missions between 2013-2023, including further investigation on Uranus, and a more intensive study into the possibility that Mars has supported life.