"I have 'YD', you say you have never heard of it? What?! I like wearing yukatade on date or yummy yakiniku daisuki dinners? WRONG! It's a debilitating illness where you can only do what you yearn to do!"
(Flashbacks through the times when Sunbeam, Moonbeam, and Starbeam first met Galaxbeam and his students. To his enlightenment of Zhengqi, through series of fighting the whole foreign invaders and heavy enlightenment)
(Opening plays)
Morning at the Galaxy University Academy, the bell rang as every of the young Galaxy students rushed to class after chatting to each other. Sunbeam, Moonbeam, and Starbeam were told by Galaxxus to head on to the astronomy class where Galaxbeam will be teaching and studying space.
The three all arrived to class as the Professor himself have not shown up yet, taking their seat, Sunbeam watched to witnessed over 50 of the blonde-yellowish hair students all muttering to each other, some having breakfast, and few drawing bunch of things.
Moonbeam looked up at the ceiling seeing several space and celestial figures and models. She looked at the counter seeing few models of a steampunk shuttle, space balloons, and other small robotic tools. Starbeam on his side, he just remained motionless as he watched at the green chalkboard that is fresh new and unused...
"So where is Galaxbeam?" Sunbeam asked.
Suddenly Galaxbeam blinked right at the door...
"Whew! Sorry guys, boys and girls I am late just had to run and grab some things for the project." Galaxbeam said.
Sunbeam just placed out his hands like what the, as the head-hancho the professor immediately bender straight behind the teacher's desk and immediately placed down several of the neatly stacked books checked out from the library within the academy. Galaxbeam grabbed over 6 chalks three on each hands and began writing few things on the chalkboard...
"Okay class, let the session begin! First off..."
Galaxbeam wrote the word: astronomy on the board.
"Today this session I will be teaching about astronomy, brace yourselves boys, girls-my students we shall learn about space- astronomy!" Galaxbeam said, smiling wide.
Sunbeam groaned.
"Hush General Sunbeam, time to learn about space... and like it!" Galaxbeam said.
"No device or talking please. Class is in session!"
"Now can anybody tell me what astronomy is about?" Galaxbeam asked.
"Oh astronomy is about..."
"Raise your hand, Sunbeam. Yes you right there on the right. Please tell what astronomy is about?" Galaxbeam said, shooshing Sunbeam up.
Sunbeam rolled his eyes.
"Uhm well astronomy is about space, planets, world, universe that formed something called the solar system?" The young male baihu spoke, shyly.
"Right around the corner, good job. Astronomy is the branch of science that deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole.
Like Aes, the universe we lived in. Full of steam technologies and industrial revolution.
It is the study of space and planets including the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Legends that mankind has long gazed toward the heavens, searching to put meaning and order to the universe around him. Although the movement of constellations — patterns imprinted on the night sky — were the easiest to track, other celestial events such as eclipses and the motion of planets were also charted and predicted.
Now what is space, can somebody tell me what is space?"
Galaxbeam scanned his eyes and seeing few students have their hand raised up.
"Yes you in the back."
"Space is the endless void up in the sky through endless intervals of the galaxy and its eternal universe." The female human said.
"Errrm I'll give you a B-plus for answering and being there close. But good job! The definition of space is the dimensions of height, depth, and width within which all things exist and move. However there are several meaning of the word space, but I am talking about space like outer space. Which I will automatically explain it for you.
the physical universe beyond the earth's atmosphere.
Now what's earth science mean? What is the definition of earth science? Ahh Sunbeam you tell me what earth science mean?" Galaxbeam said, smiling.
"Uh uh uh.. Uh uh uh science is use of chemical and earth are the ground we stepped on with both our feet and the grass, terrain, and dirt?" Sunbeam answered.
"False!"
"Starbeam? Tell me what the definition of earth science mean?" Galaxbeam said, smiling.
"the branch of science dealing with the physical constitution of the earth and its atmosphere. the various branches of earth science, e.g., geology, oceanography, or meteorology." Starbeam answered.
"Alright good. Today we learn about the parallel reality of planet Earth back decades ago in the outer dimensions. First..."
Galaxbeam began to write out bunch of stuff space orient stuff including some drawing of the planets.
"When many of us grew up, there were nine planets in the Solar System. It was like a fixed point in our brains. As kids, memorizing this list was an early right of passage of nerd pride: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
Let's start with Earth. Planet Earth is where back many years ago in the past times, human beings dominantly only human beings like some of us walked the land of terrains and water, feeling the hardened ground. It's where habitats and evolution formed and civilization grew and age. Whereas oxygen are provided for us beings to live, for without we perished.
Earth /ˈɜːrθ/ is the third planet from the Sun, the densest planet in the Solar System, the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets, and the only astronomical object known to harbor life.
Radius: 3,959 mi, Age:4,543 billion years old, Distance from Sun:92.96 million miles, Mass:5.972 × 10^24 kg, Population: 7.125 billion for recorded in 2013, and Moon: Moon.
Throughout human history we have sought to understand our home planet. However, the learning curve has been steep, with many errors having been made along the way. For example, it was not until the time of the ancient Romans that the world was understood to be spherical rather than flat. A second example is the belief that the Sun revolved around the Earth. Only in the sixteenth-century, through the work of Copernicus, did we accept that, in fact, the Earth was merely a planet orbiting the Sun.
Perhaps most importantly, it is during the last two centuries that science has allowed us to see that the Earth is both an ordinary and unique place in . On one hand, many of its characterisitcs are rather unexceptional. Take, for example, its size, interior, and geological processes—being the fifth largest out of the eight planets, it is close to the median in terms of size; its interior structure is almost identical to the three other terrestrial planets; and the same geological processes that shape its surface can be found not only on other planets, but also on planetary moons. However, is special in one very important regard in all of the solar system, the Earth is the only world known to foster life.
ATMOSPHERE
The ability for Earth to possess life is dependent in many ways on its atmosphere. The composition of the atmosphere is roughly 78% nitrogen (N2), 21% oxygen (O2), 1% argon, with trace amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases. Nitrogen and oxygen are essential to DNA and biological energy production, respectively, without which life could not be sustained. Additionally, the oxygen found in what is known as the ozone layer of the atmosphere protects the surface of the planet by absorbing harmful solar radiation.
Remarkably, the significant amount of oxygen present in the atmosphere is due to the life found on Earth. As a byproduct of making sugars, plants convert the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into oxygen. Essentially, this means that without plants the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would be much greater and the oxygen levels much lower. On one hand, if carbon dioxide levels were much higher, it is likely the Earth would suffer from a runaway greenhouse effect like that on Venus. On the other hand, if the percentage of carbon dioxide were any lower there would not be a greenhouse effect at all, thus making temperatures far colder. Therefore, the carbon dioxide levels are just right to maintain hospitable temperatures ranging from -88° C to 58° C.
OCEANS
When viewing Earth from space, there is one overwhelming feature the oceans of liquid water. In terms of surface area, these oceans cover approximately 70% of the Earth. What is even more amazing than this percentage is that a single drop of liquid water is yet to be found on any other planet in the Solar System. In this regard, the Earth is truly unique.
Like the Earth's atmosphere, the presence of liquid water is vital for life. In fact, life is believed to have first developed 3.8 billion years ago in the oceans, only later evolving the ability to survive on land.
The existence of the oceans is attributed to two sources. The first of these is the Earth itself. It is conjectured that large amounts of water vapor were trapped wintin the Earth during its formation. Over time, the planet's geological mechanisms, primarily its volcanic activity, released this water vapor into the atmosphere. Once in the atmosphere, this vapor condensed and fell to the planet's surface as liquid water. The second source is theorized to have originated from the ancient comets that struck the Earth. Upon impact, they deposited substantial amounts of water ice on the planet.
SURFACE
Although most of the Earth's surface lies beneath its oceans, the remaining "dry" surface is quite remarkable. When comparing the Earth to other solid bodies in the Solar System, its surface stands out due to its lacking impact craters. It is not that the Earth has been spared the numerous impacts by small bodies; rather, it is because the evidence of these impacts has been erased. Although there are many geological processes responsible for this, the two most important are weathering and erosion. In many ways these two mechanisms can be thought of as working in tandem.
Weathering is the breaking down of surface structures into smaller pieces by the atmosphere. Moreover, there are two types of weathering: chemical and physical. An example of chemical weathering is acid rain. An example of physical weathering is abrasion of river beds caused by rocks suspended in flowing water. The second mechanism, erosion, is simply the movement of weathered particles by water, ice, wind or gravity.
Thus, impact craters have been "smoothed out" through weathering and erosion by being broken apart and redistributed to other areas on the Earth's surface.
Two other geological mechanisms have helped to shape the Earth's surface. The first is volcanic activity. This process consists of the releasing of magma (molten rock) from the Earth's interior through a rupture in the its crust. Some effects of volcanic activity can be the resurfacing of Earth's crust or formation of islands (think of the Hawaiian Islands). The second mechanism is orogeny, or the formation of mountains through the compression of tectonic plates. An example of mountains created through this process is the Rocky Mountains.
INTERIOR
Similar to the other terrestrial planets, Earth's interior is believed to consist of three components: a core, a mantle, and a crust. At present, the core is thought to be comprised of two separate layers an inner core composed of solid nickel and iron, and an outer core composed of molten nickel and iron. The mantle is very dense and almost entirely solid silicate rock; its thickness is roughly 2,850 km. Finally, the crust is also composed of silicate rock and varies in thickness. While the continental crust ranges from 30 to 40 km in thickness, the oceanic crust is much thinner at only 6 to 11 km.
Yet another distinguishing feature of the Earth when compared to the other terrestrial planets is that its crust is divided into cool, rigid plates that rest upon the hotter mantle below. Furthermore, these plates are in constant motion. Along the boundaries of these plates two processes, known as subduction and spreading, can occur. During subduction two plates come into contact (sometimes violently, producing earthquakes) and one plate is forced under the other. Separation, on the other hand, is when two plates are moving away from each other.
ORBIT & ROTATION
At roughly 365 days, the Earth's orbit around the Sun is familiar to us. The length of our year is due in large part to the Earth's average orbital distance of 1.50 x 108 km. What many people are not familiar with is that at this orbital distance it takes sunlight, on average, about eight minutes and twenty seconds to reach the Earth.
With an orbital eccentricity of .0167, the Earth's orbit is one of the most circular in all the Solar System. This means that the difference between Earth's perihelion and aphelion is relatively small. As a result of this small difference, the intensity of the sunlight Earth receives remains almost constant year-round. However, the Earth's position in its orbit is responsible, in part, for the varying seasons it experiences.
The Earth's axial tilt is approximately 23.45°. That is, the axis the Earth rotates about is tilted slightly with respect to the plane in which the Earth orbits the Sun. The effect of this tilt, along with position of the Earth in its orbit, means that at certain times the amount of sunlight the northern hemisphere receives is greater than that of the southern hemisphere, and vice versa. This variation in intensity is what produces the warmer temperatures during the summer and colder temperatures during the winter.
A second commonly know characteristic is that the Earth takes approximately twenty-four hours to complete one rotation. This is fastest among the terrestrial planets, but easily slower than that of all the gas planets.
mantle definition. The region of the interior of the Earth between the core (on its inner surface) and the crust on its outer. Note: The mantle is more than two thousand miles thick and accounts for more than three-quarters of the volume of the Earth."
Galaxbeam said as he wrote multiple stuff on the chalkboard as the students paid attention to the professor talking and writing numerous things regarding planet earth on the chalkboard.
"Okay next up the sun, not you Sunbeam so be quiet."
Sunbeam placed out his hands in disgust as he rolled his eyes and leaned back sighing.
"The sun aka the solar heart of heat. Can anybody tell me what the definition of the sun is?"
Galaxbeam pointed to a student up front. "Yes you in that furry dark-green coat. Tell me what the definition of the sun means?"
"It's the main source of the planet that is unbearable to the touch due to its continuous fiery heat. That produce light and warmth to us beings." The male human said.
"Well close. Anyone else want to give it a try?" Galaxbeam asked, scanning around the classroom.
" The star around which the earth orbits. The light or warmth received from the earth's sun. Sit or lie in the sun." The male feichong student said.
"Thank you for multiple meaning, but i'll stick that the stars around which the earth orbits. First definition." Galaxbeam replied.
He continuous on his teaching as he draws the sun and the radiation of its heat.
"The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System and is by far the most important source of energy for life on Earth. It is always hot and full of boldly of flames that will never ever run out in a billion of years. Not even if one tried to extinguish it out with gallons of water! It is the hottest and considered very deadly and dangerous if people are stupid enough to transverse on it regardless of the astronaut suit. It cannot save you from its harmful UV rays and radiation.
Distance to Earth: 92.96 million mi, Surface temperature:5,778 K, Radius:432,474 mi, Mass:1.989 × 10^30 kg, Magnitude: -26.74, Absolute Magnitude:4.83.
Is the star at the center of the Solar System and is by far the most important source of energy for life on Earth. It is often said that the Sun is an "ordinary" star. That's true in the sense that there are many others similar to it. But there are many more smaller stars than larger ones; the Sun is in the top 10% by mass. The median size of stars in our galaxy is probably less than half the mass of the Sun.
Mercury- yes Mercury the next planet.
Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System and the one closest to the Sun, with an orbital period of about 88 Earth days, which is much faster than any other planet in the Solar System.
Radius:1,516 mi, Distance from the Sun:35.98 million miles, Mass:3.285 × 10^23 kg (0.055 M⊕), Length of Day:58d 15h 30m, Orbital period:88 days, Gravity: 3.7 m/s²
Mercury is a planet in our solar system. It is the smallest of the eight planets. It is also the closest to the sun. Mercury goes around the sun the fastest of all the planets. Mercury has no moons.
How Did Mercury Get Its Name?
The Romans believed that gods and goddesses were in charge of everything on Earth. Mercury is named after the messenger for their gods. The Roman Mercury had wings on his helmet and shoes. He could travel very quickly from place to place. The planet Mercury moves quickly around the sun. That is how it got its name.
The Romans believed that gods and goddesses were in charge of everything on Earth. Mercury is named after the messenger for their gods. The Roman Mercury had wings on his helmet and shoes. He could travel very quickly from place to place. The planet Mercury moves quickly around the sun. That is how it got its name.
How Big Is Mercury?
Mercury is a little bigger than Earth's moon. It is made of heavier materials, like iron. But if you could weigh Mercury and the moon, Mercury would weigh a lot more. Mercury is heavy, but it is small. It would take more than 18 Mercurys to be as big as Earth.
Mercury is a little bigger than Earth's moon. It is made of heavier materials, like iron. But if you could weigh Mercury and the moon, Mercury would weigh a lot more. Mercury is heavy, but it is small. It would take more than 18 Mercurys to be as big as Earth.
Where Is Mercury?
Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Mercury goes around the sun once every 88 Earth days. A day on Mercury lasts a lot longer than a day on Earth. One day on Mercury lasts 59 Earth days.
Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Mercury goes around the sun once every 88 Earth days. A day on Mercury lasts a lot longer than a day on Earth. One day on Mercury lasts 59 Earth days.
What Is Mercury Like?
The surface of Mercury looks like Earth's moon. It is covered with holes. The holes are called impact craters. The craters were made by rocks falling from space. The rocks are going very fast when they hit Mercury. A hole is made where the rock hits. Earth has a blanket of air around it. Mercury does not. The blanket is what helps keep Earth from getting too hot or cold. Because it is so close to the sun, Mercury can be very hot. At night, Mercury gets very cold. We could not live on Mercury!
The surface of Mercury looks like Earth's moon. It is covered with holes. The holes are called impact craters. The craters were made by rocks falling from space. The rocks are going very fast when they hit Mercury. A hole is made where the rock hits. Earth has a blanket of air around it. Mercury does not. The blanket is what helps keep Earth from getting too hot or cold. Because it is so close to the sun, Mercury can be very hot. At night, Mercury gets very cold. We could not live on Mercury!
How Has NASA Studied Mercury?
Mercury is hard to study because it is so close to the sun. People have never gone to Mercury. Spacecraft without people have gone. Mariner 10 was the first to visit Mercury. It flew by in 1974 and 1975. Not even half of Mercury was seen then. After that, nothing was sent to Mercury for more than 30 years. NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft flew by Mercury in 2008 and 2009. In March 2011, it began to orbit Mercury. MESSENGER will study parts of Mercury that have not been seen before. It will let scientists learn many new things about the planet.
Mercury is hard to study because it is so close to the sun. People have never gone to Mercury. Spacecraft without people have gone. Mariner 10 was the first to visit Mercury. It flew by in 1974 and 1975. Not even half of Mercury was seen then. After that, nothing was sent to Mercury for more than 30 years. NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft flew by Mercury in 2008 and 2009. In March 2011, it began to orbit Mercury. MESSENGER will study parts of Mercury that have not been seen before. It will let scientists learn many new things about the planet.
Okay next up Pluto!
Pluto is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond Neptune. It was the first Kuiper belt object to be discovered.
Radius:736.9 mi, Discovered:February 18, 1930, Gravity:0.658 m/s², Discoverer:Clyde Tombaugh, Orbit:Sun, Moons:Charon, Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, Styx
What Is Pluto?
Pluto was discovered in 1930 by an astronomer from the United States. An astronomer is a person who studies stars and other objects in space.
Pluto was discovered in 1930 by an astronomer from the United States. An astronomer is a person who studies stars and other objects in space.
Pluto was known as the smallest planet in the solar system and the ninth planet from the sun.
Today, Pluto is called a "dwarf planet." A dwarf planet orbits the sun just like other planets, but it is smaller. A dwarf planet is so small it cannot clear other objects out of its path.
On average, Pluto is more than 3.6 billion miles (5.8 billion kilometers) away from the sun. That is about 40 times as far from the sun as Earth. Pluto orbits the sun in an oval like a racetrack. Because of its oval orbit, Pluto is sometimes closer to the sun than at other times. At its closest point to the sun Pluto is still billions of miles away.
Pluto is in a region called the Kuiper (KY-per) Belt. Thousands of small, icy objects like Pluto are in the Kuiper Belt.
Pluto is only 1,400 miles (2,300 kilometers) wide. That's about half the width of the United States. Pluto is slightly smaller than Earth's moon. It takes Pluto 248 years to go around the sun. One day on Pluto is about 6 1/2 days on Earth.
Pluto was named by an 11-year-old girl from England. The dwarf planet has five moons. Its largest moon is named Charon (KER-ən). Charon is about half the size of Pluto. Pluto's four other moons are named Kerberos, Styx, Nix and Hydra.
Why Is Pluto Not Called a Planet Anymore?
In 2003, an astronomer saw a new object beyond Pluto. The astronomer thought he had found a new planet. The object he saw was larger than Pluto. He named the object Eris (EER-is).
In 2003, an astronomer saw a new object beyond Pluto. The astronomer thought he had found a new planet. The object he saw was larger than Pluto. He named the object Eris (EER-is).
Finding Eris caused other astronomers to talk about what makes a planet a "planet." There is a group of astronomers that names objects in space. This group decided that Pluto was not really a planet because of its size and location in space. So Pluto and objects like it are now called dwarf planets.
Pluto is also called a plutoid. A plutoid is a dwarf planet that is farther out in space than the planet Neptune. The three known plutoids are Pluto, Eris and Makemake (MAH-kee-MAH-kee). Astronomers use telescopes to discover new objects like plutoids.
Scientists are learning more about the universe and Earth's place in it. What they learn may cause them to think about how objects like planets are grouped. Scientists group objects that are like each other to better understand them. Learning more about faraway objects in the solar system is helping astronomers learn more about what it means to be a planet.
What Is Pluto Like?
Pluto is very, very cold. The temperature on Pluto is 375 to 400 degrees below zero. Pluto is so far away from Earth that scientists know very little about what it is like. Pluto is probably covered with ice.
Pluto is very, very cold. The temperature on Pluto is 375 to 400 degrees below zero. Pluto is so far away from Earth that scientists know very little about what it is like. Pluto is probably covered with ice.
Pluto has about one-fifteenth the gravity of Earth. A person who weighs 100 pounds on Earth would weigh only 7 pounds on Pluto.
Most planets orbit the sun in a near-circle. The sun is in the center of the circle. But Pluto does not orbit in a circle! The orbit of Pluto is shaped like an oval. And the sun is not in the center. Pluto's orbit is also tilted.
How Is NASA Exploring Pluto Today?
NASA learns about Pluto from pictures taken with telescopes. Pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope helped scientists find the four smaller moons.. Hubble has also taken pictures of Pluto's surface. The pictures show dark and light areas on Pluto. Pluto is so far away that even pictures taken by telescopes in space are a little fuzzy.
NASA learns about Pluto from pictures taken with telescopes. Pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope helped scientists find the four smaller moons.. Hubble has also taken pictures of Pluto's surface. The pictures show dark and light areas on Pluto. Pluto is so far away that even pictures taken by telescopes in space are a little fuzzy.
In 2006, NASA launched the first mission to Pluto. It is called New Horizons. New Horizons is a spacecraft that is going to the edge of the solar system. The spacecraft is about the size of a piano. It was a nine-year trip to reach Pluto. In 2015, New Horizons arrived at Pluto. The mission will spend more than five months studying Pluto and its moons. New Horizons will then study other objects in the Kuiper Belt.
New Horizons has cameras that will take pictures of Pluto. The spacecraft also has science tools to gather information about Pluto. These pictures and information will help scientists learn more about the dwarf planet.
Why Is NASA Exploring Pluto?
NASA sends spacecraft to other planets because exploring space is exciting. It helps people learn new things. Spacecraft have visited every major planet in the solar system. Studying places like Pluto may help scientists learn how planets form.
NASA sends spacecraft to other planets because exploring space is exciting. It helps people learn new things. Spacecraft have visited every major planet in the solar system. Studying places like Pluto may help scientists learn how planets form.
What Is an Eclipse?
What Is a Lunar Eclipse?
The moon orbits, or goes around, Earth. Earth orbits, or goes around, the sun. Once in a while, Earth lines up directly between the sun and the moon. When this happens, Earth blocks the light from the sun to the moon. Earth's shadow then falls on the moon. This is an eclipse of the moon. It is called a lunar eclipse.
During a lunar eclipse, we can see Earth's shadow on the moon. When Earth completely blocks the sunlight, the moon looks red or orange. A lunar eclipse can last for a few hours. At least two lunar eclipses happen every year.
Did You Know? It is believed that lunar eclipses taught people that Earth is round. A long time ago, people thought that Earth was flat. Then they saw Earth's shadow on the moon. They learned that Earth is round.
What Is a Solar Eclipse?
Sometimes when the moon orbits Earth, it lines up directly between the sun and Earth. When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun. This causes an eclipse of the sun, or a solar eclipse. During a solar eclipse, the moon casts shadows onto Earth.
Sometimes when the moon orbits Earth, it lines up directly between the sun and Earth. When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun. This causes an eclipse of the sun, or a solar eclipse. During a solar eclipse, the moon casts shadows onto Earth.
A solar eclipse happens during the daytime. The daylight grows dim. Sometimes the moon blocks almost all of the sunlight. Then the daytime can look as dark as night during a solar eclipse!
Solar eclipses happen once every 18 months. Solar eclipses only last for a few minutes.
Did You Know? You should NEVER look directly at the sun --not even during an eclipse when the moon blocks the sunlight! A solar eclipse is exciting. But looking at the sun is dangerous. It can damage your eyes.
Why Does NASA Study Eclipses?
NASA scientists want to learn more about the moon. They took the moon's temperature during a lunar eclipse. They wanted to see how fast the moon cooled when Earth's shadow was on it. This helped NASA learn what the moon might be made of. The moon is our nearest neighbor, yet there is still much to learn about it.
NASA scientists want to learn more about the moon. They took the moon's temperature during a lunar eclipse. They wanted to see how fast the moon cooled when Earth's shadow was on it. This helped NASA learn what the moon might be made of. The moon is our nearest neighbor, yet there is still much to learn about it.
NASA can study the top layer of the sun during some solar eclipses. The moon blocks the brightest rays of sunlight. This makes it easier for scientists to see the top layer of the sun. Scientists use tools on Earth and tools in space to take pictures of the sun. Then they study what they see.
What Is Mars?
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury.
Radius:2,106 mi, Length of Day: 1d 0h 40m, Distance from Sun:141.6 million mi, Mass:6.39 × 10^23 kg (0.107 M⊕), Gravity:3.711 m/s², Moon:Phobos, Deimos
Mars is a planet. It is the fourth planet from the sun. It is the next planet beyond Earth. Mars is more than 142 million miles from the sun. The planet is about one-sixth the size of Earth. Mars is known as the Red Planet. It gets its red color from the iron in its soil. Mars has two small moons. Their names are Phobos and Deimos.
What Is Mars Like?
Mars is very cold. The average temperature on Mars is minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit -- way below freezing!
Mars is very cold. The average temperature on Mars is minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit -- way below freezing!
Mars is rocky with canyons, volcanoes and craters all over it. Red dust covers almost all of Mars. It has clouds and wind, just as Earth does. Sometimes the wind blows the red dust into a dust storm. Tiny dust storms can look like tornados, and large ones can cover the whole planet!
Mars has about one-third the gravity of Earth. A rock dropped on Mars would fall slower than a rock dropped on Earth. Things weigh less on Mars than they weigh on Earth. A person who weighs 100 pounds on Earth would only weigh about 37 pounds on Mars because of less gravity.
What Has NASA Learned About Mars?
NASA has used both spacecr aft and robots to learn more about Mars. In 1965, Mariner 4 was the first NASA spacecraft to get a close look at the planet. In 1976, Viking 1 and Viking 2 were the first NASA spacecraft to land on Mars. They took pictures and explored the planet's surface. Since then, more spacecraft have flown near or landed on Mars.>
NASA has used both spacecr aft and robots to learn more about Mars. In 1965, Mariner 4 was the first NASA spacecraft to get a close look at the planet. In 1976, Viking 1 and Viking 2 were the first NASA spacecraft to land on Mars. They took pictures and explored the planet's surface. Since then, more spacecraft have flown near or landed on Mars.>
NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers landed on Mars in January 2004. They found evidence that water once flowed on Mars. Living things need water to survive. So, any sign of water on Mars would mean that there could be, or could have been, life on the planet.
How Is NASA Exploring Mars Today?
Today, three spacecraft are circling above, or orbiting, Mars. The spacecraft are using scientific tools to measure the volcanoes, canyons, craters, temperature and the kinds of minerals on Mars. They also are taking pictures and searching for water.
Today, three spacecraft are circling above, or orbiting, Mars. The spacecraft are using scientific tools to measure the volcanoes, canyons, craters, temperature and the kinds of minerals on Mars. They also are taking pictures and searching for water.
Two robots that move, called rovers, are exploring Mars' surface. Their names are Opportunity and Curiosity. The rovers travel around taking pictures and looking closely at the planet's soil and rocks. NASA uses pictures and information from the spacecraft and the rovers to learn more about Mars.
How Will NASA Explore Mars in the Future?
NASA plans to send more robots to Mars. NASA wants robots to someday collect Martian soil and rocks and bring them back to Earth to be studied. The MAVEN spacecraft started orbiting Mars in September 2014. MAVEN studies Mars' atmosphere. NASA plans to send a lander to Mars in 2016. And a new Mars rover is planned for launch in 2020.
NASA plans to send more robots to Mars. NASA wants robots to someday collect Martian soil and rocks and bring them back to Earth to be studied. The MAVEN spacecraft started orbiting Mars in September 2014. MAVEN studies Mars' atmosphere. NASA plans to send a lander to Mars in 2016. And a new Mars rover is planned for launch in 2020.
NASA also wants to send astronauts to Mars someday. To get ready to send humans to Mars, NASA is studying new kinds of homes where astronauts can live. Scientists are studying how people in space could grow plants for food. By watching what happens to astronauts on the International Space Station, scientists are finding out how living in space affects humans.
Ring-a-Round the Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius about nine times that of Earth.
Radius:36,184 mi, Distance from Sun: 890.7 million mi, Mass:5.683 × 10^26 kg (95.16 M⊕), Orbital period: 29 years =, Length of Day: 0d 10h 39m, Moon:Titan, Enceladus, Rhea, Mimas, Dione, Tethys, Lapetus,
Saturn is a funny-looking planet. True, it's not the only planet with rings. Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune have rings, too. But Saturn's rings are the biggest and brightest.
An astronomer named Galileo was the first person to see Saturn's rings. He spotted them while looking into space through a telescope in 1610. That's almost 400 years ago! Scientists have been trying to learn more about Saturn's rings ever since.
One thing we know for sure. Saturn's rings are made of ice and rock. These pieces vary in size. Some are as small as a grain of sand. Others are as large as a house. But scientists aren't sure when or how Saturn's rings formed. They think the rings might have something to do with Saturn's many moons.
Earth has only one moon. But Saturn has at least 60 moons orbiting it that we know about. Asteroids and meteoroids sometimes crash into these moons and break them into pieces. The rings could be made from these broken pieces of moons. The rings may also be made from material left over from when Saturn first formed.
From far away, Saturn looks like it has seven large rings. Each large ring is named for a letter of the alphabet. The rings were named in the order they were discovered. The first ring discovered was named the A ring, but it is not the ring closest to or farthest from Saturn.
Some of the rings are close together. Others have large gaps between them. The rings do not sit still. They circle around Saturn at very high speeds. A closer look shows that each large ring is made up of many small rings. The small rings are sometimes called ringlets. More rings and ringlets could still be discovered.
Saturn is much larger than Earth. More than 700 Earths could fit inside Saturn. Saturn's rings are thousands of miles wide. If there were cars in space, it would take more than a week to drive across some of Saturn's rings. On the other hand, the rings are quite thin. They are only about 30 to 300 feet thick.
Cassini is the latest NASA spacecraft to explore Saturn. Cassini left Earth in 1997 and arrived at Saturn seven years later, in 2004. The spacecraft has been orbiting the planet since then. Cassini sends new pictures and information back to Earth all the time. Cassini has taken amazing pictures of Saturn's rings.
What Is Jupiter?
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a giant planet with a mass one-thousandth that of the Sun, but two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined.
Radius:43,441 mi, Distance from Sun:483.8 million mi, Mass:1.898 × 10^27 kg (317.8 M⊕), Orbital period:12 years, Length of Day:0d 9h 56m, Moon:Europa, Io, Ganymede, Callisto, Amalthea, Metis, Adrastea
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Jupiter is so large that all of the other planets in the solar system could fit inside it. More than 1,000 Earths would fit inside Jupiter.
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun. From Earth, it is almost always the second brightest planet in the sky. Venus is brighter. The planet is named after Jupiter. He was the king of the Roman gods.
Jupiter is made of the same things that stars are made of. In fact, Jupiter would have become a star if it were about 80 times bigger.
What Is Jupiter Like?
Jupiter is a giant gas planet. The planet is covered in thick red, brown, yellow and white clouds. Jupiter is a very windy planet with winds that blow more than 400 mph. That is faster than hurricanes and tornadoes!
Jupiter is a giant gas planet. The planet is covered in thick red, brown, yellow and white clouds. Jupiter is a very windy planet with winds that blow more than 400 mph. That is faster than hurricanes and tornadoes!
Jupiter is famous for its Great Red Spot. The swirling red spot is a giant spinning storm. It looks like a hurricane. Almost three-and-a-half Earths would fit across the storm.
Jupiter has three thin rings. The rings were found in 1979 by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft. Jupiter's rings are made up mostly of tiny bits of dust.
Jupiter rotates, or spins, faster than any other planet. A day on Jupiter is about 10 hours long. It is so far from the sun that it takes 12 Earth years for Jupiter to make one trip around the sun. That means one year on Jupiter is 12 years on Earth.
It is very cold on Jupiter. Gravity is different, too. There is more gravity on Jupiter than on Earth. Someone who weighs 100 pounds on Earth would weigh about 240 pounds on Jupiter.
How Many Moons Does Jupiter Have?
Right now, 62 moons have been found around Jupiter. The last time a moon was found was in 2003. The planet's four largest moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. They were found in 1610.
Right now, 62 moons have been found around Jupiter. The last time a moon was found was in 2003. The planet's four largest moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. They were found in 1610.
The largest of Jupiter's moons is named Ganymede. It is the largest moon in the solar system. Ganymede is larger than Mercury and Pluto. Io has a lot of volcanoes. Europa is covered with water ice.
How Has NASA Explored Jupiter?
Scientists use telescopes on Earth to study Jupiter. The Hubble Space Telescope has taken pictures of Jupiter. NASA has sent eight spacecraft to Jupiter. The missions studied Jupiter's atmosphere, surface, moons and rings. The missions took close-up pictures of some of the unusual things found on Jupiter.
Scientists use telescopes on Earth to study Jupiter. The Hubble Space Telescope has taken pictures of Jupiter. NASA has sent eight spacecraft to Jupiter. The missions studied Jupiter's atmosphere, surface, moons and rings. The missions took close-up pictures of some of the unusual things found on Jupiter.
How Is NASA Exploring Jupiter Today?
A new spacecraft is going to Jupiter. NASA's Juno spacecraft launched in August of 2011. It will get to Jupiter in 2016. Juno will orbit closer to Jupiter than any other spacecraft. Juno will take the first pictures around Jupiter's north and south poles.
A new spacecraft is going to Jupiter. NASA's Juno spacecraft launched in August of 2011. It will get to Jupiter in 2016. Juno will orbit closer to Jupiter than any other spacecraft. Juno will take the first pictures around Jupiter's north and south poles.
What Is an Orbit?
An orbit is a path. It's the way something goes around an object in space. The moon goes in orbit around Earth. You're in orbit right now! That's because Earth is following an orbit all the way around the sun. The International Space Station orbits Earth. An object in orbit is called a satellite. A satellite can be natural, like the moon. It can be human-made, like the space station. Earth is a natural satellite of the sun.
Planets, comets, asteroids and other objects orbit the sun. Many planets also have moons. These moons go in orbits around their planets.
What Shape Is an Orbit?
An orbit is a curved path, like a circle or an oval. (The technical word is "ellipse.") A comet's orbit is very long and thin. Sometimes the comet is close to the sun and moves quickly. Most of the time it is far from the sun and moves slowly. The moon's orbit is almost circular.
An orbit is a curved path, like a circle or an oval. (The technical word is "ellipse.") A comet's orbit is very long and thin. Sometimes the comet is close to the sun and moves quickly. Most of the time it is far from the sun and moves slowly. The moon's orbit is almost circular.
How Do Objects Stay in Orbit?
A moving object will continue moving unless something pushes or pulls on it. This statement is called Newton's first law of motion. Without gravity, a satellite would fly off into space. With gravity, a satellite is constantly pulled back toward Earth. This tug-of-war keeps the satellite in orbit.
A moving object will continue moving unless something pushes or pulls on it. This statement is called Newton's first law of motion. Without gravity, a satellite would fly off into space. With gravity, a satellite is constantly pulled back toward Earth. This tug-of-war keeps the satellite in orbit.
Height is how far up something is. Objects at different heights move at different speeds in orbit. The space station is about 200 miles above Earth. At that height, the station must move about 17,500 miles per hour. It takes the space station about 90 minutes to go around Earth. The moon is much higher, about 250,000 miles from Earth. It takes the moon about 28 days to orbit Earth, going about 2,200 miles per hour. Earth takes a year to orbit the sun. Pluto takes about 248 Earth years.
What Is Orbital Debris?
Orbital debris (duh-bree) is "junk" in space. It is pieces of spacecraft. Humans have been launching objects into space for more than 50 years.
Most of the "junk" has fallen back toward Earth. About once a day, something falls back to Earth. Some of these objects have landed on Earth. Since most of Earth's surface is water, objects usually fall there. Other objects burn up in the atmosphere. But many of the objects are still in orbit around Earth.
How Big Is Orbital Debris?
Debris can be as small as tiny flecks of paint from a spacecraft. Large debris could be satellites that are no longer working. A lot of orbital debris comes from explosions of objects in orbit. These are often parts of rockets.
Debris can be as small as tiny flecks of paint from a spacecraft. Large debris could be satellites that are no longer working. A lot of orbital debris comes from explosions of objects in orbit. These are often parts of rockets.
Why Is Orbital Debris Important?
Most "space junk" is moving very fast. It can reach speeds of 4.3 to 5 miles per second. Five miles per second is about 18,000 miles per hour. That's almost seven times faster than a bullet. Since it is moving so quickly, a tiny piece of orbital debris can cause a lot of damage. A piece of debris the size of a marble could hit as hard as a bowling ball going 300 miles per hour.
Most "space junk" is moving very fast. It can reach speeds of 4.3 to 5 miles per second. Five miles per second is about 18,000 miles per hour. That's almost seven times faster than a bullet. Since it is moving so quickly, a tiny piece of orbital debris can cause a lot of damage. A piece of debris the size of a marble could hit as hard as a bowling ball going 300 miles per hour.
How Much Debris Is in Orbit?
Scientists keep track of the debris in orbit. They sort it by size. They have found about 13,000 objects bigger than a softball. Scientists believe there are more than 100,000 pieces of orbital debris bigger than a penny. Tens of millions of pieces are smaller than that. Scientists track all debris larger than a softball using radar and telescopes.
Scientists keep track of the debris in orbit. They sort it by size. They have found about 13,000 objects bigger than a softball. Scientists believe there are more than 100,000 pieces of orbital debris bigger than a penny. Tens of millions of pieces are smaller than that. Scientists track all debris larger than a softball using radar and telescopes.
To figure out how many pieces of very small debris are in orbit, scientists study the space shuttle. They look for damage from the impacts of debris. When the shuttle returns from space, scientists count how many things hit it. This helps them figure out how many tiny objects are in orbit.
NASA has other ways to learn more about orbital debris. Satellites are brought back to Earth. Scientists then count the number of objects that hit the satellite. One of these satellites was the Long Duration Exposure Facility. It was left in space for over five years. NASA used it to learn about what space does to materials.
How Do Astronauts Stay Safe From Orbital Debris?
NASA knows where larger space debris is. The International Space Station can change its path to stay away from objects that would damage it. Plus, the space station has shields to protect it. The debris hits extra panels instead of important parts. The station can survive impact with small debris.
NASA knows where larger space debris is. The International Space Station can change its path to stay away from objects that would damage it. Plus, the space station has shields to protect it. The debris hits extra panels instead of important parts. The station can survive impact with small debris.
Spacesuits help protect astronauts from orbital debris. When astronauts go on spacewalks, they wear special suits. The suits include a layer of strong, thin material. This material protects astronauts from impacts. The layer is like a bulletproof vest.
What Is NASA Doing About Orbital Debris?
Will Earth orbit turn into a junkyard? Space agencies around the world work to make sure that does not happen.
Will Earth orbit turn into a junkyard? Space agencies around the world work to make sure that does not happen.
The United States has rules about orbital debris. The rules try to cut down on new debris. NASA even has an Orbital Debris Program Office at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The office looks for ways to create less orbital debris. It looks for ways to get rid of debris that is already in space.
What Is Microgravity?
In space, astronauts do not walk on the floor like people on Earth do. They float around inside their spacecraft. That is because of microgravity. Microgravity is when things seem to be weightless. "Micro-" means "very small."
Microgravity is when the pull of gravity is not very strong. In microgravity, it is easy to move heavy objects. Astronauts can even move things that weigh hundreds of pounds with just the tips of their fingers.
How Does Gravity Work?
Gravity is what pulls people down toward Earth. When you jump, gravity makes you come back down. When you are walking, it holds you on the ground.
Gravity is what pulls people down toward Earth. When you jump, gravity makes you come back down. When you are walking, it holds you on the ground.
Is There Gravity in Space?
Some people think that there is no gravity in space. But small amounts of gravity are everywhere. Gravity keeps the moon in orbit around Earth. It keeps Earth in orbit around the sun. The pull of gravity gets weaker the farther apart two objects are. A spacecraft could go so far from Earth that a person would feel very little gravity. But this is not why things float on the International Space Station. The space station orbits Earth at about 200 to 250 miles high. At that height, Earth's gravity is still very strong. In fact, a person who weighs 100 pounds on the ground would weigh 90 pounds there.
Some people think that there is no gravity in space. But small amounts of gravity are everywhere. Gravity keeps the moon in orbit around Earth. It keeps Earth in orbit around the sun. The pull of gravity gets weaker the farther apart two objects are. A spacecraft could go so far from Earth that a person would feel very little gravity. But this is not why things float on the International Space Station. The space station orbits Earth at about 200 to 250 miles high. At that height, Earth's gravity is still very strong. In fact, a person who weighs 100 pounds on the ground would weigh 90 pounds there.
Why Do Objects Float in Orbit?
So why do astronauts float in space? The answer is that they are in free fall. Gravity pulls all objects the same way, even if they are different sizes. If you drop a hammer and a feather on Earth, the hammer will fall faster. But that is not because gravity pulls them differently. Air makes the feather fall more slowly. If there were no air, they would fall together at the same speed. Some amusement parks have free-fall rides. On those rides, a cabin falls along a tall tower. If you let go of a ball at the start of the fall, you and the ball would fall together. The ball would appear to float in front of you! That is what happens in a spacecraft. The spacecraft, its crew and everything aboard are all falling around Earth. Since they are all falling together, the crew and objects appear to float.
So why do astronauts float in space? The answer is that they are in free fall. Gravity pulls all objects the same way, even if they are different sizes. If you drop a hammer and a feather on Earth, the hammer will fall faster. But that is not because gravity pulls them differently. Air makes the feather fall more slowly. If there were no air, they would fall together at the same speed. Some amusement parks have free-fall rides. On those rides, a cabin falls along a tall tower. If you let go of a ball at the start of the fall, you and the ball would fall together. The ball would appear to float in front of you! That is what happens in a spacecraft. The spacecraft, its crew and everything aboard are all falling around Earth. Since they are all falling together, the crew and objects appear to float.
How Can Spacecraft Fall Around Earth?
What does it mean to "fall around Earth"? Earth's gravity pulls objects toward the surface. Gravity pulls on the space station, too. As a result, it is falling toward Earth's surface. The station also is moving very fast. It moves so fast it matches the way Earth's surface curves. If you throw a baseball, gravity will cause it to curve down. It will hit the ground soon.
What does it mean to "fall around Earth"? Earth's gravity pulls objects toward the surface. Gravity pulls on the space station, too. As a result, it is falling toward Earth's surface. The station also is moving very fast. It moves so fast it matches the way Earth's surface curves. If you throw a baseball, gravity will cause it to curve down. It will hit the ground soon.
A spacecraft in orbit moves at the right speed so that the curve of its fall matches the curve of Earth. For the space station, that speed is 17,500 miles per hour. The spacecraft keeps falling toward the ground but never hits it. Instead, it falls around the planet. The moon stays in orbit around Earth for this same reason. The moon also is falling around Earth.
Why Does NASA Study Microgravity?
NASA studies microgravity. The studies help show what happens to people and other things in space. Microgravity does things to the human body. For example, muscles and bones can get weaker. Astronauts on the space station spend months in microgravity. Astronauts who travel to Mars would have to live even longer in microgravity. That is because it will take a long time to get there and back. NASA must learn what microgravity does to astronauts. NASA will use this information to find ways to keep them safe and healthy.
NASA studies microgravity. The studies help show what happens to people and other things in space. Microgravity does things to the human body. For example, muscles and bones can get weaker. Astronauts on the space station spend months in microgravity. Astronauts who travel to Mars would have to live even longer in microgravity. That is because it will take a long time to get there and back. NASA must learn what microgravity does to astronauts. NASA will use this information to find ways to keep them safe and healthy.
Other things seem to act differently in microgravity, too. Fire burns in a different shape. Without gravity, flames are more round. Crystals grow better. Their shapes are more perfect without gravity. NASA performs science experiments in microgravity. They help NASA learn things that would be hard to learn on Earth.
Can Microgravity Be Found on Earth?
Microgravity can be found on Earth, too. NASA uses airplanes to create microgravity for a short time. The airplane does this by flying in up-and-down parabolas. At the top of the parabola, people and things inside the airplane are in free fall for about 20-30 seconds. NASA also uses drop towers to study microgravity. Objects are dropped from the top of these towers. The objects are in free fall as they drop. You can even experience microgravity yourself. How? You can go over a big hill on a roller coaster or ride on a free-fall ride at an amusement park.
Microgravity can be found on Earth, too. NASA uses airplanes to create microgravity for a short time. The airplane does this by flying in up-and-down parabolas. At the top of the parabola, people and things inside the airplane are in free fall for about 20-30 seconds. NASA also uses drop towers to study microgravity. Objects are dropped from the top of these towers. The objects are in free fall as they drop. You can even experience microgravity yourself. How? You can go over a big hill on a roller coaster or ride on a free-fall ride at an amusement park.
What Is a Black Hole?
A black hole is a geometrically defined region of spacetime exhibiting such strong gravitational effects that nothing—including particles and electromagnetic radiation such as light—can escape from inside it.
A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light can not get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying.
Because no light can get out, people can't see black holes. They are invisible. Space telescopes with special tools can help find black holes. The special tools can see how stars that are very close to black holes act differently than other stars.
How Big Are Black Holes?
Black holes can be big or small. Scientists think the smallest black holes are as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a large mountain. Mass is the amount of matter, or "stuff," in an object.
Black holes can be big or small. Scientists think the smallest black holes are as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a large mountain. Mass is the amount of matter, or "stuff," in an object.
Another kind of black hole is called "stellar." Its mass can be up to 20 times more than the mass of the sun. There may be many, many stellar mass black holes in Earth's galaxy. Earth's galaxy is called the Milky Way.
The largest black holes are called "supermassive." These black holes have masses that are more than 1 million suns together. Scientists have found proof that every large galaxy contains a supermassive black hole at its center. The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy is called Sagittarius A. It has a mass equal to about 4 million suns and would fit inside a very large ball that could hold a few million Earths.
How Do Black Holes Form?
Scientists think the smallest black holes formed when the universe began.
Scientists think the smallest black holes formed when the universe began.
Stellar black holes are made when the center of a very big star falls in upon itself, or collapses. When this happens, it causes a supernova. A supernova is an exploding star that blasts part of the star into space.
Scientists think supermassive black holes were made at the same time as the galaxy they are in.
If Black Holes Are "Black," How Do Scientists Know They Are There?
A black hole can not be seen because strong gravity pulls all of the light into the middle of the black hole. But scientists can see how the strong gravity affects the stars and gas around the black hole. Scientists can study stars to find out if they are flying around, or orbiting, a black hole.
A black hole can not be seen because strong gravity pulls all of the light into the middle of the black hole. But scientists can see how the strong gravity affects the stars and gas around the black hole. Scientists can study stars to find out if they are flying around, or orbiting, a black hole.
When a black hole and a star are close together, high-energy light is made. This kind of light can not be seen with human eyes. Scientists use satellites and telescopes in space to see the high-energy light.
Could a Black Hole Destroy Earth?
Black holes do not go around in space eating stars, moons and planets. Earth will not fall into a black hole because no black hole is close enough to the solar system for Earth to do that.
Black holes do not go around in space eating stars, moons and planets. Earth will not fall into a black hole because no black hole is close enough to the solar system for Earth to do that.
Even if a black hole the same mass as the sun were to take the place of the sun, Earth still would not fall in. The black hole would have the same gravity as the sun. Earth and the other planets would orbit the black hole as they orbit the sun now.
The sun will never turn into a black hole. The sun is not a big enough star to make a black hole.
How Is NASA Studying Black Holes?
NASA is using satellites and telescopes that are traveling in space to learn more about black holes. These spacecraft help scientists answer questions about the universe.
NASA is using satellites and telescopes that are traveling in space to learn more about black holes. These spacecraft help scientists answer questions about the universe.
Now onto Uranus!
Uranus!
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System.
Radius:15,759 mi, Distance from Sun:1.787 billion mi, Mass: 8.681 × 10^25 kg (14.54 M⊕), Orbital period:84 years, Length of Day:0d 17h 14m, Moons:Miranda, Titania, Ariel, Umbriel, Oberon, Puck, Cordelia.
Next moving onto Neptune!
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third-largest by mass. Among the giant planets in the Solar System, Neptune is the most dense.
Radius:15,299 mi, Distance from Sun:2.795 billion mi, Mass:1.024 × 10^26 kg (17.15 M⊕), Orbital period: 165 years, Length of Day:0d 16h 6m, Moons:Triton, Nereid, Thalassa, Larissa, Laomedeia, Psamathe, Proteus, Naiad, Despina, Galatea, Neso, Halimede, Sao, S/2004 N 1.
Now onto Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. It has no natural satellite. It is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.
Radius: 3,760 mi, Distance from Sun: 67.24 million mi, Mass:4.867 × 10^24 kg (0.815 M⊕), Length of Day:116d 18h 0m, Orbital period:225 days, Gravity:8.87 m/s²
Onto the moons!
Titan!
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. It is the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth where clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found.
Radius:1,601 mi, Gravity:1.352 m/s², Orbital period:16 days, Discovered:March 25, 1655, Density: 1.88 g/cm³, Discoverer:Christiaan Huygens.
Okay now onto the Moon itself! Moonbeam, please tell me what the moon is?" Galaxbeam stated, pointing to Moonbeam who has her head on the desk after enduring large amount of intellectual education of astronomy.
"Huh? Ooh well uhh uhh the Moon is a planet that is far away from the Sun. That leaves no trace of air or something." Moonbeam answered.
"Well somewhat correct, but not quite. The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is one of the largest natural satellites in the Solar System, and, among planetary satellites, the largest relative to the size of the planet it orbits.
Distance to Earth:238,900 mi, Radius:1,079 mi, Age:4.53 billion years, Orbital period:27 days, Gravity:1.622 m/s², Orbits:Earth.
Next onto the next moon type, Enceladus!
Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn. It is 500 kilometers in diameter, about a tenth of that of Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Radius:157 mi, Discovered:1789, Gravity:0.113 m/s², Distance to Earth:790.1 million mi, Orbital period:33 hours, Discoverer:William Herschel.
Next onto the Galaxy deep within space, The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System. Its name "milky" is derived from its appearance as a dim glowing band arching across the night sky whose individual stars cannot be distinguished by the naked eye.
Age:13.21 billion years. Constellation: Sagittarius.
Then the Asteroid belt!
The asteroid belt is the circumstellar disc in the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets."
Galaxbeam paused after having to jot down a lot of things on the chalkboard.
"Alright class time for some worksheets!" Galaxbeam announced. He immediately passed out three worksheets to everybody including Sunbeam, Moonbeam, and Starbeam as he returned back to his desk...
"Okay class start doing your work, and no talking!" Galaxbeam said.
Sunbeam having some issues understand about the Sun and few of other planets.
Some of the students immediately began writing in answers for the sheets as Galaxbeam immediately start to read the books that are on his desk.
Time passed later the whole students finished their assignments and turned it in at the front of the desk. Sunbeam, Moonbeam both took little more time being hesitant before turning it in. Starbeam was done that quickly.
Galaxbeam who read fast finished one whole book slammed the page shut as he toss it on the desk, he head up on his feet...
"Good work students. Now time to do the project."
Galaxbeam gave the students materials and tools. "Okay you will be crafting a resonator. With extra special materials you be able to add-on space bending capabilities. Begin."
The students including Sunbeam, Moonbeam, and Starbeam all followed the instructions that Galaxbeam have written on the chalkboard. Galaxbeam himself resumed reading his books, opening his 2nd book to the first page and began to read.
After a while later the students have successfully crafted their resonators, with added features of space property.
"Good good now to test the resonators." Galaxbeam said, smiling.
He leads the students heading through the hallway, going outside to the fields full of debris and rocky terrain. Gesturing to use the hand-made crafted resonators on the various objects on the ground, all the students including Sunbeam, Moonbeam, and Starbeam all practiced using the resonators.
Using space technology properties, the whole objects like sticks-twigs, logs, etc all slowly start to levitate orbiting around as they lost its mass.
Floating in mid-air in an orbiting circle with the obstacles rotating around like a ring-cycle, Galaxbeam pull out a round giant artificial-made Orange glowing orb that have been crafted from gathered hex crystals after defeating the spawns.
He activated the orb as it float on its own heading to the center of the axis point making it look resemble as the Sun. With all the obstacles rotating around like particles resembling the asteroid belt that surrounds the air floating now still in mid-air, Galaxbeam pull out identical medium to large crafted hex orbs that resembles Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Earth, Sun, and the Milky Way all mingling in with the whole project which levitate around the Sun as the students used the resonators to play with the crafted Solar System.
Having the Earth hex-orb orbit around the Sun as another students pull out a model of a shutter using the resonator to make it fly on its own due to gravity.
The students all smiled and began getting excited as they experimented the project. Learning about the solar and lunar eclipse, seeing the Mars and Venus hex-orbs close to the Sun.
As Galaxbeam observed, Sunbeam used his resonator using the force of gravity to lift up few clumps of grass and twigs he send them to the artificial Sun that is ideally floating in the middle. The grass and the twigs immediately ignited on fire as it nears its radiation.
"Wow." Sunbeam surprised as he played with the artificial made solar system outside of the Galaxy Academy...
"Behold students, Sunbeam, Moonbeam, and Starbeam feast your eyes on the made project with the resonators you have built. We have developed the solar system using the resonators to lift all obstacles in mid-air that acts as asteroids around the oxygen air which acts as the void of space deep within the Galaxy.
There you have the formed hex-crafted solar system comprised of the Sun, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Pluto, and the Moon. With the Milky Way being furthest away from them all planets of the solar system.
This is Project Solar System-test of astronomy! As you can see the planets closest to the sun are hotter and burning as the planets further away from the sun near the moon are colder and icy.
Acting as if outer space, only Earth has life, other planet bears no oxygen thereby yields no life elsewhere..."
Galaxbeam continued to teach the students regarding astronomy, space, void of the Galaxy and beyond, astronauts, and the lore of outer space.
Afternoon later, Galaxbeam dismissed the class as school is out by the bell. While the chapter ends with Sunbeam, Moonbeam, and Starbeam experimenting with levitating solar system, rotating the artificial planets around the hex-orb crafted sun.
To be continued...
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