Solar System Exploration - NASA Science
WEBOur solar system orbits the center of the galaxy at about 515,000 mph (828,000 kph). It takes about 230 million years to complete one orbit around the galactic center. We call it the solar system because it is made up of our star, the Sun, and everything bound to …
NASA Science
WEBNASA Science is delivering: every second of every day, of every week, of every year. 2024 is proving to be yet another year of exceptional scientific discovery and achievement. From soft landing back on the Moon a few months ago, to celebrating the Heliophysics Big Year and a Total Solar Eclipse in the contiguous United States, to receiving ...
Jupiter - NASA Science
WEBJupiter also is the oldest planet, forming from the dust and gases left over from the Sun's formation 4.5 billion years ago. But it has the shortest day in the solar system, taking only 10.5 hours to spin around once on its axis. NASA’s Juno spacecraft took three images of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot on Feb. 12, 2019, that were used to create ...
About the Planets - Science@NASA
WEBAbout the Planets. The solar system has eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. There are five officially recognized dwarf ...
Mars Facts - Science@NASA
WEBMars has a dense core at its center between 930 and 1,300 miles (1,500 to 2,100 kilometers) in radius. It's made of iron, nickel, and sulfur. Surrounding the core is a rocky mantle between 770 and 1,170 miles (1,240 to 1,880 kilometers) thick, and above that, a crust made of iron, magnesium, aluminum, calcium, and potassium.
What Is Climate Change? - NASA Science
WEBClimate change is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates. These changes have a broad range of observed effects that are synonymous with the term. Changes observed in Earth’s climate since the mid-20th century are driven by human activities, particularly fossil fuel burning, …
Neptune Facts - Science@NASA
WEBFrom an average distance of 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion kilometers), Neptune is 30 astronomical units away from the Sun. One astronomical unit (abbreviated as AU), is the distance from the Sun to Earth. From this distance, it takes sunlight 4 hours to travel from the Sun to Neptune. A 3D model of Neptune.
Facts About Earth - NASA Science
WEB8.350022 minutes. While Earth is only the fifth largest planet in the solar system, it is the only world in our solar system with liquid water on the surface. Just slightly larger than nearby Venus, Earth is the biggest of the four planets closest to the Sun, all of which are made of rock and metal. Earth is the only planet in the solar system ...
Climate Change - NASA Science
WEBThe Ocean and Climate Change. Our ocean is changing. With 70 percent of the planet covered in water, the seas are important drivers of the global climate. Yet increasing greenhouse gases from human activities are altering the ocean before our eyes. NASA and its partners are on a mission to find out more.
What is the greenhouse effect? - NASA Science
WEBThe greenhouse effect is the process through which heat is trapped near Earth’s surface by substances known as ‘greenhouse gases.’ Imagine these gases as a cozy blanket enveloping our planet, helping to maintain a warmer temperature than it would have otherwise. Greenhouse gases consist of carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, …