Poles in Space
The areas around the North and South Poles of planets, moons, and even the Sun are often interesting and unusual places. We have discovered all sorts of unique behavior at these locations, while on some planets, the characteristics of the poles are similar to those of Earth. On some planets and moons, we still don't have observations from their poles so can only make educated guesses of what we expect to find there based on our scientific understanding of the celestial body. The links below provide an overview of what we know about the polar regions of many of the major bodies in the solar system. An important concept related to the poles of the planets is the amount of tilt of a planet's rotational axis relative to the plane of the ecliptic - the orbital plane in which the planets orbit the Sun. Planets with a large tilt have stronger seasonal behavior than planets without a tilt.
Windows to the Universe Community | |
News | Opportunities |
Explore Poles in Space
The Sun's Poles
Earth has a North Pole, a South Pole, and an equator. The Sun does too! Some things are different ...Read more
Mercury's Poles
Most planets are tilted. Their North and South Poles are not straight up and down. Earth is ...Read more
The Poles of Venus
Venus is the hottest planet in our Solar System. On Earth, places near the equator are hot. ...Read more
Earth's Polar Regions
Do you wonder what Earth's Polar Regions are like? Where do polar bears live? Where do penguins ...Read more
The Polar Regions of Mars
The North and South Poles on Mars are a lot like the polar regions on Earth. They are the coldest ...Read more
The Poles of Jupiter and Its Moons
Jupiter has interesting poles. The poles of some of its large moons are interesting too. Io ...Read more
The Poles of Saturn and Its Moons
There's a lot of strange stuff going on at both the North and South Poles of Saturn. Two of ...Read more
The Poles of Uranus
Uranus is the tilted planet. The axis through its North and South Poles is tilted by 98°. In ...Read more
The Poles of Neptune and Its Moons
The South Pole of the planet Neptune is a bit strange. Triton, Neptune's largest moon, also ...Read more
The Poles of the Dwarf Planets
As of June 2009 there are officially five dwarf planets. They are Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea ...Read moreMore about Poles in Space
Did you know?
Do you know the difference between meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites?Did you know that comets have two tails, not one?
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?Tsunami
xTsunami : A tsunami is a sea wave of local or distant origin that results from large-scale seafloor displacements associated with large earthquakes, major submarine slides, or exploding volcanic islands.
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
Geologists Uncover Major Ancient Human Ancestor in South Africa
Scientists in South Africa have discovered two fossil skeletons that are about two million years old. These skeletons are of a young male and adult female of a species that had never been found before....Read more
Shop Windows to the Universe
This eudialyte pendant and earrings are available in our online store, along with other jewelry, minerals, fossils, classroom materials, and household items.
Science Blogs
Real Climate: climate science from climate scientists
Star Stuff: science news from an astronomer's perspective
Generous sponsorship of Windows to the Universe is provided by the Hewlett Foundation, the American Geological Institute, the American Geophysical Union, the National Science Foundation, NASA, NCAR, and the CISM and CMMAP projects.
