Solar System Discoveries
Who discovered the planets? For many of the planets in the solar system, we'll never know! Some planets are so bright in the sky that the first observers of these planets are lost in the distant past of early civilizations. Venus was carefully observed in early Mesoamerican cultures. The most distant planets were discovered in the last century, and we're now still discovering Dwarf planets, in our solar system and beyond. Visit the links here to find out more about what we know about the discovery of planets."
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Explore Solar System Discoveries
Discovery of Mercury
Mercury's orbit is so close to the Sun that it is difficult to see by ground-based observers. ...Read more
Discovery of Venus
Venus is one of the brightest objects in the sky, so it is clearly visible to the naked eye. ...Read more
Discovery of Mars
Mars is much like Venus-- it's very bright and therefore easily spotted in the night sky. ...Read more
Discovery of Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It is also one of the brighter objects ...Read more
Discovery of Saturn
Like the inner planets and Jupiter, Saturn is clearly visible in the night sky. The ancient ...Read more
Discovery of Uranus
Astronomer William Herschel is credited with the discovery of Uranus in 1781. He was using ...Read more
Discovery of Neptune
If you had a quiz question in school that asked what year Neptune was discovered, you'd probably ...Read more
Discovery of Pluto
After the discovery of Neptune in 1846, mathematical theory suggested that there still might ...Read more
Discovery of Ceres
Ceres is the largest asteroid in the main asteroid belt. It was classified as a "dwarf ...Read more
Discovery of Haumea
Haumea is a dwarf planet in our Solar System. Haumea is the fifth object officially classified ...Read moreMore about Solar System Discoveries
- Discovery of Makemake
- Discovery of Eris
- What is a Planet
- Exoplanets
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Did you know that a moon has been found to orbit the asteroid Eugenia?Do you know how far away the Oort cloud is?
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?Tallus slope
xTallus slope : An accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags or mountain cliffs
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Research Highlights
Even in the Desert, Plants Feel the Heat of Global Warming
Global warming is a hot topic, and it's causing concern for scientists studying winter annuals in the Sonoran Desert. While desert winters have become warmer and drier over the years, climate changes have...Read more
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