Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, takes its name from the Roman god of war. Its distinctive red hue derives from an abundance of iron oxide covering its surface. Mars has always captured people’s imagination, from ancient civilizations through to contemporary space exploration technology. Telescopes have brought it closer, while technology enables space travel….
SpaceX owns over one-third of all satellites currently orbiting. Elon Musk’s International Space Station and weather forecasting satellites share low Earth orbit (LEO). Spacecraft that need to stay in orbit require significant horizontal velocity; how do we achieve that goal? Orbital Period The orbital period measures the time required for an object to complete one…
Bugs may conjure images of creepy crawlies, but there is much more diversity within this species than meets the eye. From microscopic to downright gigantic varieties of bugs can be found all around the globe. Hercules beetles can blend in seamlessly with leaves to fool predators and have enough strength to lift up to 850…
Spacecraft must leave Earth’s atmosphere using rocket engines in order to achieve orbit. Engineers specialize in creating spacecraft switch panels and display systems as well as testing multiple spacecraft trajectories. Spacecraft does not typically become pluralized due to a lack of official categories or classes for spacecraft. A spacecraft is a vehicle designed for travel…
Early spring brings new life and excitement in nature – from dozing frogspawn in park lakes to blackbirds’ raspy “onk-a-lee” song, as well as blooms like daffodils, crocuses and tulips appearing across woodlands and hedgerows. Tree buds blooming are an unmistakable sign of spring, while hazel catkins form long “lamb’s tails”. Birds Spring’s early signs…
Chinese culture is rich and dynamic. You might discover some surprising facts you didn’t know before! Do you know that China only has one time zone, meaning some places experience sun rise as late as 10 AM. China also features the world’s longest wall and the Forbidden City palace that boasts over 9,000 rooms! 1….
The Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), commonly referred to as LM, enabled astronauts to land on the Moon. It consisted of two sections; its gold-and-black lower section known as the descent stage housed a rocket engine. Armstrong and Aldrin utilized Columbia as their means to land on the lunar surface and return back to Columbia’s orbiting…
Australia may seem like just another sunny beach destination, but there’s much more to this great nation than meets the eye. Here are some interesting Australia facts you may not have known: Australian Alps are among the world’s snowiest mountains. Australian mammals like duck-billed platypus and echidnas are unique among animals by being the only…
The butterfly life cycle is one of the most captivating transformations in nature, featuring four major stages known as metamorphosis: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult. After mating, female butterflies look for suitable plant species upon which to lay their eggs. She can identify an ideal leaf by its shape and color. Egg Female butterflies who…
