Explore Solar System Discoveries
![](/images/icons/systemdiscovery_mercury.jpg)
Mercury's orbit is so close to the Sun that it is hard to see from the ground. This is why ...
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![](/images/icons/systemdiscovery_venus.jpg)
Venus is one of the brightest objects in the sky. It is always found near the Sun. It rises ...
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![](/images/icons/systemdiscovery_mars.jpg)
Mars is a bright, red object in the sky. It is very easy to see, which means that even people ...
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![](/images/icons/systemdiscovery_jupiter.jpg)
Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system! It's also very bright in the sky. We don't ...
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![](/images/icons/systemdiscovery_saturn.jpg)
Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system. It is also very bright in the sky. ...
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![](/images/icons/systemdiscovery_uranus.jpg)
Uranus was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel. He argued with his friends over its name. ...
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![](/images/icons/systemdiscovery_neptune.jpg)
Neptune was discovered in 1846. But it wasn't discovered using a telescope. Scientists used ...
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![](/images/icons/systemdiscovery_pluto.gif)
The ninth planet in our solar system is Pluto. It was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. ...
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![](/images/icons/systemdiscovery_ceres.jpg)
Ceres is the largest asteroid in the main asteroid belt. It was classified as a "dwarf ...
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![](/images/icons/systemdiscovery_haumea.jpg)
Haumea is a dwarf planet in our Solar System. Haumea is officially the fifth dwarf planet. ...
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More about Solar System Discoveries
Did you know?
Do you know
Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion?
Do you know what Pluto, Ceres, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris have in common?
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?
Orographic liftxOrographic lift : Occurs when an air mass is forced to rise over geographic relief from a lower elevation. As the air mass rises it expands and cools adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100%, create clouds and precipitation.
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
Geologists have learned that a large earthquake and tsunami that killed 192 people on September 29, 2009 in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga was in fact a triple-whammy. The magnitude 8.1 "great earthquake"...
Read more![](/olpa/images/tonga_quake_small.jpg)