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Planets & Solar System

Supermoon: What It Really Is, Why It Happens, and When to Catch the Next One

A supermoon is a full moon that lines up with the Moon's closest approach to Earth, making it look a little bigger and noticeably brighter than an ordinary full moon. At its best, a supermoon can appear up to 14% larger and about 30%...

What Is a Constellation? A Beginner’s Guide to the Sky’s 88 Star Patterns

A constellation is a group of stars that forms a recognizable pattern in the night sky, one we've given a name, usually after a mythological figure, animal, or object. There are 88 of them officially recognized, and together they map out the entire sky....
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What Is the Surface of Venus Like? The Hottest, Most Hostile World in the Solar System

From here on Earth, Venus is a thing of beauty. It's the dazzling "morning...

What Is Mercury Retrograde? The Real Astronomy Behind the Internet’s Favorite Excuse

Sooner or later, everyone hears it. A friend misses a flight, sends a text...

The Rings of Neptune: The Solar System’s Faintest, Strangest Halo

Everybody knows Saturn has rings. They're the poster child, the show-off of the solar...

Could Earth Have Rings? The Surprising Answer Hiding in Our Planet’s Past

Picture stepping outside on a clear night and looking up to see a bright...

Which Planets Have Rings? Saturn Isn’t Even the Biggest One

Ask most people which planet has rings, and Saturn is the only answer you'll...

Planets in Order: The Complete Guide to Our Solar System

Eight planets orbit the Sun, and their order never changes: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,...

Neptune’s Tiny Moons Contain a Mineral That Shouldn’t Exist Out There, and It’s Rewriting Their History

Larissa and Galatea, two small, dark moons orbiting close to Neptune, sit in a...

What Is the Asteroid Belt? The Solar System’s Rocky Middle Ground

Between Mars and Jupiter sits a doughnut-shaped region packed with leftover rubble from the...

Jupiter: Size, Distance From the Sun, and Orbit

Jupiter took most of the leftover material from the Sun's own formation, ending up...

How Many Moons Does Jupiter Have? The 2026 Count

Jupiter has 115 officially recognized moons as of August 2026, according to NASA and...

What Is the Oort Cloud? The Solar System’s Icy, Invisible Edge

Beyond Neptune, beyond Pluto, beyond even the icy Kuiper Belt, scientists believe there's a...

Saturn: Size, Distance From the Sun, and Its Slow, Tilted Orbit

Saturn is the planet everyone recognizes instantly thanks to its rings, but the numbers...

Latest articles

Supermoon: What It Really Is, Why It Happens, and When to Catch the Next One

A supermoon is a full moon that lines up with the Moon's closest approach...

What Is a Constellation? A Beginner’s Guide to the Sky’s 88 Star Patterns

A constellation is a group of stars that forms a recognizable pattern in the...

How Many Planets Are There? The Real Answer Is Bigger Than Eight

There are eight planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,...

What Is a Galaxy? A Simple Guide to the Great Islands of Stars

A galaxy is an enormous collection of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, all...