Part 2 of Duncan Lunan’s series looking at Solstice and equinoxes – the Moon and planets
Beginners Astronomy: Solstices, Equinoxes and Sighthill Part 2
Jupiter’s Moons
“The four large Jupiter moons, discovered by Galileo and called the Galilean satellites in his memory, are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, in order out from the planet.”
Jupiter
Jupiter is much further from the Sun than Mars and is passed by the Earth every 13 months, so it’s brilliant in the night sky for much of every year.
Manned Mars Missions 2
“In some circles, only unmanned exploration of Mars would be considered acceptable”
Beginners Astronomy: Mars 5 – Life on Mars
In the last of his series on Mars, Duncan Lunan looks at the possibility of life on the planet
Beginners Astronomy: Mars 3 – The Moons of Mars
“The two moons of Mars were discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall. The largest crater on Phobos, the inner moon, is named ‘Stickney’, the maiden name of Asaph Hall’s wife, who encouraged him to keep looking when he was ready to give up. “
Beginners Astronomy: Mars Part 2- Mars and its Weather
“When Mariner 9 approached Mars in 1971, to become the first probe to orbit the planet, Mars was at its closest to the Sun and in the grip of a dust storm more severe than any we’ve seen since”
Tectonics on Venus
Polygonal blocks or ‘campuses’ on the lowland surface of Venus. Note the zones of ridges that roughly parallel ‘campus’ margins. Credit: Paul K. Byrne, North Carolina State University and Sean C. Solomon, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Astronomy Beginner’s Guide: Mercury
Find out more about the planet Mercury from our guide by Duncan Lunan
Lifting the Veil of Venus
Venus is an enigma. It’s the planet next door and yet reveals little about itself.
