When it comes to unknowns, the Jovian planets still have a lot about them that we’re not quite sure on. Saturn is one of the biggest planets in the solar system, though it’s not quite the biggest. Despite this, in comparison to Earth is so much bigger that it would be difficult to comprehend. So, … Read more
As one of the Jovian planets, Saturn isn’t quite as large as its bigger brother Jupiter. However, it is quite a way further out from Earth, which means it can be difficult to see in the night sky, even with a telescope. So, we know that Saturn is quite a way further out than Earth, … Read more
Both Uranus and Neptune remain to be fairly unknown in comparison to the nearer terrestrial planets, and we struggle to see them with a telescope. Whilst you may occasionally be able to spot Uranus in the night sky, it’s difficult as it’s so far away and it’s not the brightest planet either – and don’t … Read more
Uranus and Neptune are the two furthest planets from the Sun, and they’re often lumped in together with each other, much like Jupiter and Saturn are. And the main reasons for this is that there are a lot of similarities between the two planets, as they’re more alike than they are different. This is probably … Read more
As one of the furthest planets from the Sun, mysterious Uranus still has a lot of unanswered questions about it. Due to the large distance between us and the planet, it’s not exactly the most accessible for us to learn about. Fortunately, thanks to the Voyager 2 mission which passed Uranus in the mid 1980s, … Read more
If you’re wondering how big Uranus is compared to the other planets in the solar system, then you’re not alone. As one of the furthest planets out from the Sun and an object we still know little about in comparison to the terrestrial planets, Uranus still has a lot of questions that need to be … Read more
If you’re interested in astronomy, then you’ll likely have heard of twilight. It’s the time in the evening that occurs when the Sun has started to descend below the horizon. However, there are different names for twilight, including astronomical twilight, civil twilight and nautical twilight. But how do these twilights differ to one another? Well, … Read more
Uranus is one of the furthest planets out from the Sun, with only Neptune having a greater distance from the center of our solar system. But the truth is that people probably don’t know just how far Uranus is in comparison to Earth, Mars and all of the terrestrial planets, which are all relatively close … Read more
After the sun begins to set, you always want to know just how much time you have before it really gets dark. Whether you’ve left the dog at home alone, or you’re wondering how long you’ll have to wait before you can get a good look at the night sky, it’s a good idea to … Read more
If you’re looking to learn more about the way satellites orbit in our solar system, then you’ll need to learn about retrograde orbit and retrograde rotation. It is one of the most intriguing parts of our universe, and astronomers still don’t have a conclusive answer as to why objects rotate in this fashion. But what … Read more
We all know that Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. With its hot and cold temperatures and small size, it’s one of the most difficult planets to spot when looking up into the night sky. However, Mercury is actually not that far away from Earth. However, just how long does it take Mercury … Read more
As the furthest planet from the Sun, Neptune is one of the most unknown of the eight different planets. We do know that it’s a great distance away from us on the planet Earth, as it’s almost 30 times the distance from us as we are to the Sun. This means that the planet Neptune … Read more
There are many different terms that astronomers use in relation to astronomy, and some of them can be confusing. One term that we use a lot is light pollution, which is typically considered as a bad thing when you’re trying to get a good view of the night sky. Even the brightest stars in the … Read more
We all know that Earth isn’t the biggest planet in the solar system, but in comparison to those pretty close to it, it’s the largest of the terrestrial planets. But when you venture out past the Asteroid belt, which runs between Mars and Jupiter, the planets get much, much bigger. The furthest planet from the … Read more
A common question amongst astronomers is the long term fate amongst some of our planets. Of course, our greatest concern is for our planet Earth, as there are those that say our planet will meet it’s demise in the distant future. However, between us and the Sun are two other planets, Venus and the planet … Read more
Neptune is often considered to be an unknown entity. Whilst we have made massive strides towards understanding the planet in the past few decades, as of 2021 there’s still only been one space probe that’s directly explored the planet – and that was more than 20 years ago (Voyager 2). One of the main reasons … Read more
Mercury is the first planet from the Sun, and one of the closest planets to us on Earth. This is especially true if you compare it to the ice giants Uranus and Neptune, which are much further out from the Sun. However, even though Mercury is relatively close to us, it can still be very … Read more
The planet Mercury is so close to the Sun that you’d assume it’s the hottest planet in our entire solar system. The truth is that actually it isn’t though it’s still pretty hot in comparison to the other planets that orbit around the Sun. We already know that Mercury is the fastest planet in our … Read more
As the fourth planet out from the Sun, Mars definitely has some way to go to make it a full orbit around the center of our universe. Though the truth is that although it does travel a long distance when in orbit, it’s actually relatively short when compared with the further out gas giants, and … Read more
As the fifth planet out from the Sun, Jupiter is definitely some distance out from the center of our solar system. And in comparison to Earth, you may actually be surprised by just how far out it is. But exactly how far is the planet Jupiter from the big ball of gas that we all … Read more
