Explore Planets
![](/images/icons/systemplanet_whatis.jpg)
Do you know what a planet is? Guess what... astronomers are not quite sure what a planet is! ...
Read more
![](/images/icons/systemplanet_mercury.jpg)
Mercury, the planet nearest the Sun, is the second smallest planet in the solar system. Only ...
Read more
![](/images/icons/systemplanet_venus.jpg)
Fair but inhospitable Venus, a "Sister" planet to the Earth that is very different from our ...
Read more
![](/images/icons/systemplanet_earth.jpg)
Earth, our home planet, is a beautiful blue and white ball when seen from space. ...
Read more
![](/images/icons/systemplanet_mars.jpg)
Mars, Earth's outer neighbor, is the fourth planet from the Sun. Mars' bright appearance and ...
Read more
![](/images/icons/systemplanet_jupiter.jpg)
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. When approached from afar, its fantastic ...
Read more
![](/images/icons/systemplanet_saturn.jpg)
Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun, has the most spectacular set of rings in the solar system. ...
Read more
![](/images/icons/systemplanet_uranus.jpg)
Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun, has its spin axis almost in the plane of its orbit ...
Read more
![](/images/icons/systemplanet_neptune.jpg)
Neptune, the eighth and furthest planet from the Sun, is a very cold place. Its bluish color ...
Read more
![](/images/icons/systemplanet_pluto.jpg)
In 2006 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) approved a new classification scheme for ...
Read more
Did you know?
Did you know that the
Maya and the
Aztecs were early observers of
Venus?
Did you know that Uranus is tilted so that its rotational axis is almost in the plane of the ecliptic?
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?
Shadow zonexShadow zone : The shadow zone is the area of the earth from angular distances of 104 to 140 degrees from a given earthquake that does not receive any direct P waves. The shadow zone results from S waves being stopped entirely by the liquid core and P waves being b
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
In the spring of 2010, the eruption of a volcano called Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland cancelled many flights in Europe. Eyjafjallajökull is a glaciovolcano, which means it's a volcano that is covered by...
Read more![](/olpa/images/iceland_volcano_small.jpg)