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
Saturn has a
strange hexagon shaped cloud structure at its north pole?
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?
SalinityxSalinity : The percent of salt in saltwater
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
Without meaning to, airplanes can cause certain types of clouds to produce snow or rain. When the aircraft climb or descend through mid-level clouds, if the atmospheric conditions are right then the planes...
Read more![](/olpa/images/holepunchcloud_small.jpg)