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Category: Solar System

Dione: Saturn’s Icy Moon with Tectonic Cliffs and Trojan Companions

noor-e-aishaAugust 14, 2025

Dione has a diameter of about 697 miles (1,120 km). Its density indicates that roughly one-third of the moon is composed of a rocky silicate core, while the remaining two-thirds consist of water ice. The average surface temperature is approximately -304°F (-186°C), a condition under which ice behaves similarly to rock. Dione’s surface features a […]

Titan: Saturn’s Moon with Atmosphere, Lakes, and Organic Haze

noor-e-aishaAugust 12, 2025

Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, has a dense, planet-like atmosphere composed mainly of nitrogen (95%) and methane (5%), with a surface pressure slightly higher than Earth’s. Unique among moons, Titan hosts stable bodies of liquid methane and ethane, including lakes, rivers, and seas. The surface temperature is extremely cold, around -179°C (-290°F), and beneath the icy […]

Metis: Jupiter’s Closest Moon Feeding Its Main Ring

noor-e-aishaAugust 11, 2025

Metis is the innermost known moon of Jupiter, orbiting within the planet’s main ring system. It has a very short orbital period, completing a full orbit in just about 7 hours. Because it is so close to Jupiter, Metis is tidally locked, meaning the same side of the moon always faces the planet. Its long […]

Io: Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Fueled by Tidal Heating

noor-e-aishaAugust 10, 2025

Io is the most volcanically active moon in our solar system, orbiting the planet Jupiter. It hosts over 400 active volcanoes, with lava fountains that can reach dozens of miles into space. The surface features vast lakes of molten silicate lava, such as Loki Patera, which spans more than 200 kilometers in diameter. Io’s surface […]

The Mysterious Planet Vulcan: Myth, Discovery Claims, and Disproof Explained

noor-e-aishaJuly 21, 2025

Vulcan was a proposed planet that some pre-20th-century astronomers believed existed in an orbit between Mercury and the Sun. Speculation about intermercurial bodies—objects orbiting inside Mercury’s path—dates back to the early 17th century. Although the planet was never confirmed, it was seriously considered due to unexplained anomalies in Mercury’s orbit. Early Observations and Hypotheses In […]

Theia and the Giant Impact Hypothesis: Origins of Earth’s Moon

noor-e-aishaJuly 18, 2025

In Greek mythology, Theia was one of the Titans, the sister and later wife of Hyperion, and the mother of Selene, the goddess of the Moon. This mythological narrative interestingly parallels the scientific theory regarding the planet Theia’s role in the Moon’s formation. According to the giant impact hypothesis, Theia was a Mars-sized planetary body […]

Oort Cloud Explained: Distance, Formation, Structure, and Comet Origins

noor-e-aishaJuly 11, 2025

The Oort Cloud is the most distant region in our solar system, and it’s jaw-droppingly far away, extending perhaps one-quarter to halfway from our Sun to the next star.To appreciate the distance to the Oort Cloud, it’s helpful to set aside miles and kilometers and instead use the astronomical unit, or AU — a unit […]

Full Moon Tonight: July 10, 2025 – Meaning, Color, and Visibility Explained

noor-e-aishaJuly 10, 2025

Today, July 10, 2025, the Moon is in its Full Moon phase, one of the most visually striking lunar phases. During this phase, the entire face of the Moon that faces Earth is fully illuminated by the Sun, making it appear as a complete, bright circle in the night sky. This occurs because the Earth […]

The Kuiper Belt: A Gateway to the Early Solar System

noor-e-aishaJuly 10, 2025

The name Kuiper is of Dutch origin and is an occupational surname meaning “cooper,” or barrel maker. In astronomy, however, the Kuiper Belt refers to a vast region of the outer solar system named after Dutch-American astronomer Gerard Kuiper, who theorized about the existence of such a zone, although he did not predict its current […]

Neptune: The Distant Blue Giant with Supersonic Winds and a Mysterious Moon

noor-e-aishaJuly 9, 2025

Neptune is the eighth and most distant known planet in our Solar System, named after the Roman god of the sea. It is classified as an ice giant, characterized by its deep blue color, extreme atmospheric winds, and faint ring system. Neptune has 14 known moons, the largest of which is Triton. Triton is unique […]

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Category: Solar System

Dione: Saturn’s Icy Moon with Tectonic Cliffs and Trojan Companions

Titan: Saturn’s Moon with Atmosphere, Lakes, and Organic Haze

Metis: Jupiter’s Closest Moon Feeding Its Main Ring

Io: Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Fueled by Tidal Heating

The Mysterious Planet Vulcan: Myth, Discovery Claims, and Disproof Explained

Theia and the Giant Impact Hypothesis: Origins of Earth’s Moon

Oort Cloud Explained: Distance, Formation, Structure, and Comet Origins

Full Moon Tonight: July 10, 2025 – Meaning, Color, and Visibility Explained

The Kuiper Belt: A Gateway to the Early Solar System

Neptune: The Distant Blue Giant with Supersonic Winds and a Mysterious Moon

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