Mercury - NASA Science
WEBBut Mercury is the fastest planet, zipping around the Sun every 88 Earth days. Mercury is appropriately named for the swiftest of the ancient Roman gods. Get the Facts. NASA's Mercury MESSENGER took this image of Mercury's southern hemisphere. The bright rayed crater near the limb is Debussy, named for the impressionist era French composer.
Stars - NASA Science
WEBStars form in large clouds of gas and dust called molecular clouds. Molecular clouds range from 1,000 to 10 million times the mass of the Sun and can span as much as hundreds of light-years. Molecular clouds are cold which causes gas to clump, creating high-density pockets. Some of these clumps can collide with each other or collect more matter ...
Mars - NASA Science
WEBMars Overview. Mars is no place for the faint-hearted. It’s dry, rocky, and bitter cold. The fourth planet from the Sun, Mars, is one of Earth's two closest planetary neighbors (Venus is the other). Mars is one of the easiest planets to spot in the night sky – it looks like a bright red point of light. Despite being inhospitable to humans ...
Solar System Exploration - NASA Science
WEBOur solar system has eight planets, and five dwarf planets. About 1.4 million asteroids, and about 4,000 comets are in our solar system. 3. Lots of Moons. Our solar system has more than 200 planetary moons. 4. Meet Me in the Milky Way. Our solar system is in one of the Milky Way galaxy’s spiral arms called the Orion Spur. 5.
Mercury Facts - Science@NASA
WEBMercury is the second densest planet, after Earth. It has a large metallic core with a radius of about 1,289 miles (2,074 kilometers), about 85% of the planet's radius. There is evidence that it is partly molten or liquid. Mercury's outer shell, comparable to Earth's outer shell (called the mantle and crust), is only about 400 kilometers (250 ...
Earth's Moon - Science@NASA
WEBEarth's Moon is the brightest and largest object in our night sky. The Moon makes Earth a more livable planet by moderating our home planet's wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable climate. It also causes tides, creating a rhythm that has guided humans for thousands of years. The Moon was likely formed after a Mars-sized body ...
Mars Facts - Science@NASA
WEBMars has a dense core at its center between 930 and 1,300 miles (1,500 to 2,100 kilometers) in radius. It's made of iron, nickel, and sulfur. Surrounding the core is a rocky mantle between 770 and 1,170 miles (1,240 to 1,880 kilometers) thick, and above that, a crust made of iron, magnesium, aluminum, calcium, and potassium.
James Webb Space Telescope - NASA Science
WEBDec 25, 2021 · The James Webb Space Telescope is a giant leap forward in our quest to understand the Universe and our origins. Webb is examining every phase of cosmic history: from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets to the evolution of our own solar system. Learn about the 4 main science themes …
What is the greenhouse effect? - NASA Science
WEBThe greenhouse effect is the process through which heat is trapped near Earth’s surface by substances known as ‘greenhouse gases.’ Imagine these gases as a cozy blanket enveloping our planet, helping to maintain a warmer temperature than it would have otherwise. Greenhouse gases consist of carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, …
Facts About Earth - NASA Science
WEBSize and Distance. With an equatorial diameter of 7926 miles (12,760 kilometers), Earth is the biggest of the terrestrial planets and the fifth largest planet in our solar system. From an average distance of 93 million miles (150 million kilometers), Earth is exactly one astronomical unit away from the Sun because one astronomical unit ...
Skip to content