Why is the Solar System Flat?
About 4.6 billion years ago, a giant shapeless cloud full of dust and gas condensed in one place due to the irresistible force of gravity. This is how the Moon, the Sun and all the planets in our system are … Read More
The Carrington Event – The Most Powerful Geomagnetic Storm in History
On August 28, 1859, the Carrington event began with a massive ejection of a solar coronal mass that struck the Earth’s magnetosphere and caused the most powerful geomagnetic storm in history. They called it a solar superstorm. Solar activity, with … Read More
Why Are Mars’ Sunsets Blue?
Earth and Mars are a bit like mirror worlds. Mars is the Red Planet. Earth is the pale blue dot. Mars is a frigid desert. Earth is full of water and life. But there’s another curious difference. The sky on … Read More
Did our Solar System Form in Bubbles Around Massive Star?
Our solar system was formed about 5 billion years ago from material left over from previous generations of stars, according to astronomers. Beyond that, however, things get a little murky. According to popular belief, a nearby supernova explosion compressed a … Read More
Animation: Visualizing the Speed of Light (Fast, but Slow)
Your room can be instantly flooded with light with the flip of a switch. In fact, there’s no perceivable lag at all. Because emitted photons travel at a speed of 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) per second, light only takes 1/500,000th … Read More
See The Best Jupiter Pictures from NASA’s Juno Mission
Jupiter is a secretive swirl of coffee and cream. We’re only beginning to understand the stories that lie beneath its undulating cloud bands. Juno, NASA’s spacecraft, has played a crucial role in solving these mysteries. The probe’s JunoCam has been … Read More