Discovery Space: Exploring The Solar System Space probes travel through space for months or years, journeying millions or even billions of miles to their destinations. Along the way, they help expand our knowledge of unexplored regions. Space probes are unmanned spacecraft designed to gather information about the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and the space … Read more
Did You Know: Space – Could you live on Venus? Venus is roughly the same size and shape as Earth, but you wouldn’t want to live there. It has a thick, toxic atmosphere and temperatures can get as hot as 880ºF (471ºC). If an unprotected spacecraft landed on the surface of Venus, it would begin … Read more
Did You Know: Space – What are auroras? Auroras are naturally occurring light displays that can be seen near the north and south poles. Auroras are formed when particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and hit the gases there. This creates colorful curtains of light that appear to float in … Read more
Did You Know: Space – Can you see the Earth from other planets? Sometimes when you look up at the night sky, you can see some of the other planets in the solar system. If you could visit these planets, you’d be able to see the Earth in a similar way. Saturn In the corner … Read more
Did You Know: Space – What is the asteroid belt? The asteroid belt is a ring of big rocks, called asteroids, that orbit the sun. It is found between the planets Mars and Jupiter. There are hundreds of thousands of asteroids in the belt, and they come in many different shapes and sizes. Trojans These … Read more
Did You Know: Space – Why do comets have tails? Comets are made of gas, dust, and ice that was left over from when the solar system formed. Comets do not have tails all the time. When a comet passes close to the sun, it heats up, causing its surface to boil away and create … Read more
Did You Know: Space – What is a shooting star? A shooting star isn’t really a star, it is a meteor. This is a piece of rock or dust from space that enters the Earth’s atmosphere. As it moves through our atmosphere, it heats up and leaves a streak of hot gas behind it in … Read more
Did You Know: Space – What would happen if a meteor hit the Earth? Many pieces of space rock and dust enter the Earth’s atmosphere every day, but most burn up before they reach the surface. Sometimes small pieces survive and hit the ground. Very rarely, large rocks hit the Earth, and they can make … Read more
Did You Know: Space – Do other planets have moons? Our moon is not the only one in the solar system. Except for Venus and Mercury, all of the other planets have moons. Some asteroids have moons and the dwarf planet Pluto has five moons. Miranda Tiny Miranda orbits Uranus. This moon looks like it … Read more
Did You Know: Space – Can it be dark in the daytime? A solar eclipse can cause it to be dark on Earth during the daytime. This is when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun. The moon blocks out the sunlight, making some places on Earth become dark. How a solar … Read more
