If asked by an average person which planet was closest to Earth, most would likely say Venus. After all, Venus comes before Mars chronologically and has an orbit that aligns it closely with most other planets in our Solar System. But is that true? A recent study suggests Mercury as being closer than all the…
Astronomers on a search for extraterrestrial life have located “Earth’s twin” outside our solar system – Proxima Centauri b – orbiting its nearest star. Scientists discovered the planet by tracking how its host star’s light reflects off of it; its host star lies only 11.2 days away, making this world potentially habitable. Proxima Centauri Proxima…
When asked which planet is closest to Earth, most would likely answer Venus – which makes sense given that it travels along its shortest orbit more frequently and thus comes closer to us more frequently. Mercury is actually the correct answer: from now until early August it is in opposition with Earth and this proximity…
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, boasting its Great Red Spot that nearly covers as much surface area as our own planet! People typically calculate which planet comes closest to Earth in size by subtracting their average distances from the Sun; however, due to the nature of elliptical orbits, which one actually…
Tonight, Jupiter will be visible close to Earth and should shine brighter than all the stars combined. When viewing it with proper binoculars, its striped bands and three or four of its Galilean moons should become evident. Venus reappears in evening twilight shortly after sunset, rising low over the west-north-western horizon before joining an 11…
When asked which planet is nearest the Earth, people typically reply “Venus.” Although this statement may be accurate in most instances, Venus does not always constitute the closest planet. New research proves that Mercury is indeed our nearest planet when measured accurately; scientists used an advanced mathematical technique which takes time into account to demonstrate…
This weekend, look out into the night sky: Saturn will be closer and brighter than it has been all year due to it being at opposition in our sky – its opposite. An amazing sight, especially through binoculars or telescope. Saturn’s Rings Saturn’s rings, with their brilliant hues ranging from pinks, corals and grays –…
Mars may often be touted as our nearest neighboring planet, yet Venus actually comes closer on average according to a model published in Physics Today. Scientists used a mathematical technique that accounts for time by measuring the distances between multiple points on each planet’s orbit. They ran their simulation for 10,000 years to get accurate…
Most people would likely reply that Venus is closest to earth in size when asked which planet comes closest when passing by our solar system’s closest neighbor, the Sun. Researchers have recently determined that, on average, Mercury outshines Venus by far. To reach their conclusion they conducted a computer simulation over thousands of years that…
