Voyager 2 left the realm of the sun’s influence a year ago today, becoming the 2nd craft ever to do so. This week, the journal Nature Astronomy published 5 new papers describing what Voyager 2 has been seeing on its journey into the unknown. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/voyager-2-new-published-papers-boundary-interstellar-space…
Tag: uranus
Interstellar Space Even Weirder Than Expected, NASA Probe Reveals
New submitter paralumina01 shares a report from National Geographic: In the blackness of space billions of miles from home, NASA’s Voyager 2 marked a milestone of exploration, becoming just the second spacecraft ever to enter interstellar space in November 2018. Now, a day before the anniversary of that celestial exit, scientists have revealed what Voyager 2 saw as it crossed the…
There’s Something Strange Going On Inside Neptune
Neptune is warmer than Uranus and astronomers are trying to figure out why. Source: https://www.livescience.com/something-strange-inside-neptune.html
Uranus closest to Earth on October 27
The planet Uranus, 7th planet outward from the sun, comes closest to Earth for the year on October 27, 2019. It reaches opposition – when it’s most directly opposite the sun as viewed from Earth – on October 28. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/uranus-closest-to-earth-on-october-27…
Spot six planets in the sky this week: Mercury, Mars, Uranus and more
Late October is a great time to spot planets, says Abigail Beall, and with a few tips you can find almost all those in the solar system Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24432533-000-spot-six-planets-in-the-sky-this-week-mercury-mars-uranus-and-more/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Why Earth has 4 seasons
Some assume our planet’s changing distance from the sun causes the change in the seasons. That’s logical, but not the case for Earth. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/can-you-explain-why-earth-has-four-seasons…
Ka-bam! Signs of a giant impact with Jupiter
Scientists used Juno spacecraft data and models of how Jupiter’s inner core should look to probe the giant planet’s early history. They now think an object with 10 times Earth’s mass might have struck Jupiter billions of years ago. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/core-shows-possible-giant-impact-for-jupiter…
Whoa. It’s been 30 years since our 1st and last visit to Neptune
On today’s date – August 25, 1989 – Voyager 2 passed only 4,950 kilometers (3,000 miles) above Neptune’s north pole. It was its closest approach to any planet in its Grand Tour of the outer solar system. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/voyager-2-neptune-flyby-august-25-1989…
How did Pluto become a dwarf planet?
It’s been 13 years since astronomers announced Pluto would no longer be considered a major planet in our solar system. When it happened, in 2006, the decision caused a shock wave around the world. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/pluto-dwarf-planet-august-24-2006…
30 years ago: Voyager 2’s historic Neptune flyby
Thirty years ago, on Aug. 25, 1989, NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft made a close flyby of Neptune, giving humanity its first close-up of our solar system’s eighth planet. Marking the end of the Voyager mission’s Grand Tour of the solar system’s four giant planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—that first was also a last: No other spacecraft has visited Neptune since. Source:…