planet articles
What is the star planet near the Moon tonight?
The celestial view changes day by day, meaning the answer to what bright object is sharing the sky with the Moon tonight...
What are the main characteristics of Jupiter?
Jupiter stands unrivaled in our solar neighborhood, a behemoth whose very presence shapes the orbits and evolution of th...
What are the best conditions for viewing Mars?
Observing Mars, the ruddy wanderer of our solar system, is a deeply rewarding pursuit for amateur astronomers, but it of...
What makes a planet a habitable zone?
The search for life beyond Earth often boils down to finding the right address—a place neither too scorching nor too fri...
What is the path followed by a planet called?
The curved line traced by a planet as it moves around a star, or any celestial object around another, has a specific sci...
What qualifies a planet according to NASA?
The classification of a celestial body as a "planet" is a surprisingly deep question that touches on astronomy, history,...
How does clearing the neighborhood define a planet?
The concept of a celestial body having "cleared the neighborhood" around its orbit is the most critical, and often most ...
What planet is most likely to be terraformed?
The prospect of transforming a desolate celestial body into a second home for humanity is one of science fiction's most ...
Are there any real photos of Venus?
The planet Venus, often called Earth's "sister planet" because of its similar size and mass, remains perpetually shroude...
Why does Venus look so bright lately?
The dazzling object that has recently commanded attention in the twilight sky, often appearing long before the stars hav...
What is the bright planet in the early morning sky?
The brilliant, steady light hanging in the predawn sky is a common sight that inspires many early risers to wonder what ...
Does Venus appear in the eastern sky?
Venus certainly appears in the eastern sky, but whether you can see it there depends entirely on the time of year and th...
Why does Venus glow?
The brilliant object visible in the twilight sky, often called the Morning or Evening Star, is the planet Venus, and its...
What planet has NASA explored the most?
The planet that holds the title of being the most explored by NASA, outside of our own world, is **Mars** [^1][^3]. This...
What are the three factors that make a planet habitable?
The quest to determine if a planet can support life rests on a set of environmental parameters, often extrapolated from ...
Why do we think there is water on Mars?
The compelling evidence that Mars once held substantial amounts of water, and might still harbor reserves today, stems f...
How many habitable planets are there in our solar system?
When we gaze up at the night sky from Earth, the question of how many other worlds in our local neighborhood might suppo...
How do astronomers determine the size of a planet using the transit technique?
When astronomers want to figure out just how big an alien world is, especially one orbiting a distant star, they often t...
How does NASA classify planets?
The standard for classifying a planet within our Solar System is a specific set of rules established by the Internationa...
Why is finding life on other planets important?
The presence of life beyond Earth is a question that has captivated human thought for centuries, moving from the realm o...
Why do planets look like they are flickering?
The visual phenomenon of celestial objects appearing to flicker, or twinkle, is a common sight for anyone who spends tim...
What unit is used to measure planets?
The vastness of space presents an immediate challenge when we try to describe the positions of celestial bodies. Trying ...
How do astronomers measure the size of planets?
Determining the physical dimensions of a planet, whether it orbits our Sun or a star light-years away, requires more tha...
Did ancient beaches found on Mars reveal the Red Planet once had oceans?
The long-standing cosmic question of whether Mars ever hosted vast, life-sustaining bodies of liquid water seems to be f...