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The Solar System
In the Solar System Channel, you can explore the planets and celestial objects around our own sun. Learn about topics such as Mars, Jupiter and the Moon.
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The Orionid Meteor Shower Is Back — Here's What You Need to Know
Every autumn, Earth passes through a stream of debris left by Halley's comet, resulting in nighttime meteor showers in mid-October. Best time this year is Oct. 21-22.
The Perseid Meteor Shower Is Back — Here's What You Need to Know
It's a celestial gift in the middle of August. Just look up for a spectacular sight.
How Old Is Earth and How Did Scientists Figure It Out?
In 1953, CalTech geochemist Clair Patterson came up with an estimate for Earth's age that still holds today.
Uranus: The Planet on a Very Tilted Axis
Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun and sits on an axial plane tilted at a jaw-dropping 97.7-degree angle. And yes, Uranus does actually stink.
New Kaleidoscopic Map Details the Geology of the Moon
The moon has seen a lot in its 4.5 million years of life, and a detailed new geologic map serves as testament.
The Lyrid Meteor Shower Is Back — Here's What You Need to Know
Every April, the Lyrid meteor shower fills the sky with shooting stars. Here's how to see them.
Saturn: Giant Rings and a Moon Full of Space Lakes
Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and the second largest planet in the solar system. It has an amazing ring system and 82 moons! And did we mention that it's an oblong world that appears squished looking?
New Solar Orbiter Will Get the First Glimpse of the Sun's Poles
NASA and the European Space Agency's new Solar Orbiter will travel as close as 26 million miles to the sun to get the first glimpses of its north and south poles.
Neptune: An Ice Giant With Supersonic Winds
Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun, and one of the coldest. It also has supersonic winds that are the fastest in the solar system.
How to See the Spectacular Geminid Meteor Shower
Prepare to be dazzled!
Leonid Meteor Shower: What You Need to Know
The annual Leonid meteor shower is back, and peaks in the early-morning hours of November 18. It's made up of tiny bits of debris from the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Here's how to see it.
Venus: Earth's Blazing-hot and Bizarre Twin
The atmospheric pressure is crushingly extreme on Venus, and lead would melt into a puddle on its surface. But as hellish as this place sounds, it actually has a lot in common with Earth.
Jupiter: Anatomy of a Gas Giant
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Big as it is though, next to the sun, Jupiter looks puny.
Is Planet Nine Actually a Primordial Black Hole?
As the search for Planet Nine wears on, and astronomers have yet to get so much as a glimpse of it, researchers are pondering what else the object might be.
Confirmed: Comet Borisov Is Another Interstellar Visitor
The galaxy has sent another tumbling chunk of frozen interstellar material our way.
It's Only a Rolling Rock on Mars (But I Like It)
NASA just named a rolling rock on Mars after — who else — the Rolling Stones.
Ploonets: When Moons Become Planets
Did you know that a moon can leave its orbit around a large planet and go out on its own?
Rare Asteroid Discovered With Fastest Orbit Around the Sun
Researchers at the Zwicky Transient Facility have found an asteroid in Earth's orbit. And this one has the shortest year yet.
Why Does Jupiter Have 79 Moons When Earth Just Has One?
Scientists recently found 12 more moons revolving around Jupiter, bringing its total to 79. Why does Jupiter have so many darn moons? Is there any advantage to that?
Why Are Planets Almost Spherical?
Why not cylindrical? Or even cube-shaped?
Worm, Strawberry, Blue: Every Full Moon Has a Name
Everyone's heard of the blue moon and the harvest moon, but did you know every full moon of the year has a name? What are the names and when do the moons occur?
Want to Find Past Life on Mars? Dive Deep Into Earth First
The mysterious microbes living more than half a mile beneath the deepest ocean floors could have something to teach us about Martian life.
The Truth Behind the Rogue Planet Nibiru
The idea of planet Nibiru has captivated doomsday prophets and conspiracy theorists for decades, but nobody has proven its existence. What's the deal?
NASA's InSight Mission Detects Its First Marsquake
The wait is over. NASA confirms Mars is seismically active.
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