The Moon is seen alongside planet Mars on September 5, 2020 in Cali, Colombia. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO … [+] / AFP) (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Each Monday, I pick out North America’s celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern […]
Europa’s orbit is an ellipse, and the satellite’s shape is affected by Jupiter’s gravity, becoming deformed when it passes closer to Jupiter. This change in shape creates friction inside Europa, generating enormous amounts of heat in a mechanism known as tidal heating, which melts some of the ice and forms a vast internal ocean beneath […]
Saturn as captured by the Voyager program. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Once the Voyagers’ planetary journeys were over, it was possible to begin a new mission phase. After their last planetary stops, both probes reached escape velocity for the solar system, allowing them to be released from the sun’s gravity. Since 2012 for Voyager 1, and […]
Saturn comes second to Jupiter in many respects—in size, age, prominence of stripes—but in terms of scientific intrigue, it most certainly can hold its own. Saturn stokes scientific interest not simply as a planet, but a system. Among its appealing qualities, Saturn has a lush ring and tantalizing moons that potentially harbor life. Space scientists […]
