Fuck Yeah Solar System!
"This kind of abundance can't be produced by anything but a supernova."

This blog is all about our celestial neighborhood.
I hope our solar system inspires you the way it continually inspires me.
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This kind of abundance can’t be produced by anything but a supernova.
Meenakshi Wadhwa - Astrochemist

Wadhwa was referring to the newly discovered news that our solar system is 2 million years older than scientists previously thought. This older dating ‘provides extra evidence that the solar system got its heavy elements from the explosion of a nearby supernova.’

Our Solar System: Now With 2 Years More Maturity!

“Most of what shaped the formation history of the solar system, and the planets and asteroids and all that, a lot of that happened within the first 5 to 10 million years,” she said. “Being able to actually pinpoint to within something like 2 million years what the age of the solar system is does make a difference in terms of trying to resolve the sequence of events that happened subsequently.”

Read more inside the link.

Cassini has shot some amazing new photos of Saturn this summer. This one gives you an amazing look at the atmosphere of Saturn, which is composed of hydrogen and small amounts of helium and methane. Wind speeds on Saturn’s surface can reach speeds up to 1,100 miles per hour. Lightning storms on Saturn? You bet

Cassini has shot some amazing new photos of Saturn this summer. This one gives you an amazing look at the atmosphere of Saturn, which is composed of hydrogen and small amounts of helium and methane. Wind speeds on Saturn’s surface can reach speeds up to 1,100 miles per hour. Lightning storms on Saturn? You bet

Saturn has many moons (62!) and this photo, taken by the amazing Cassini, is of the moon Enceladus. Enceladus can be seen spewing ice and other gases into space. This process is known as cryovolcanism. Scientists believe that Enceladus has only been active 1-20% of its existence so we are extremely lucky that Cassini was able to catch this image.

Saturn has many moons (62!) and this photo, taken by the amazing Cassini, is of the moon Enceladus. Enceladus can be seen spewing ice and other gases into space. This process is known as cryovolcanism. Scientists believe that Enceladus has only been active 1-20% of its existence so we are extremely lucky that Cassini was able to catch this image.

This is an amazing image: Saturn’s moon Janus is above the rings, and Saturn’s second largest moon Rhea is below, somewhat obscured by Saturn’s awesome rings. Cassini again mesmerizes!

This is an amazing image: Saturn’s moon Janus is above the rings, and Saturn’s second largest moon Rhea is below, somewhat obscured by Saturn’s awesome rings. Cassini again mesmerizes!

bonersnstuff: (via flyingattreelevel)  Solar System tat! Niiiiiiiice.

bonersnstuff:

(via flyingattreelevel)

 Solar System tat! Niiiiiiiice.

itsfullofstars: fuckyeaheyegasms: Jupiter’s Great Red Spot -“The Oldest Storm in the Universe?” via dailygalaxy

itsfullofstars:

fuckyeaheyegasms:

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot -“The Oldest Storm in the Universe?” via dailygalaxy

Pluto’s Not A Planet Anymore

by Jeff Mondak and Alex Stangl

Since 1930, quite a run
It always was the smallest one,
And oh so distant from the sun
But Pluto’s not a planet anymore

Astronomers who had a look
Said “go re-write your science book”
They gave it the celestial hook
Now Pluto’s not a planet anymore

Listen James and Janet
Some experts said to can it
Now Pluto’s not a planet
No, Pluto’s not a planet anymore

Uranus may be famous
But Mercury’s feeling hot
For Pluto was a planet,
And somehow now it’s not

Neptune’s nervous, Saturn’s sad,
And jumpin’ Jupiter is hoppin’ mad
Eight remain of nine we had
Pluto’s not a planet anymore

They held the meeting here on Earth
Mars and Venus proved their worth
But puny Pluto lacked the girth
So Pluto’s not a planet anymore

Listen James and Janet
Some experts said to can it
Now Pluto’s not a planet
No, Pluto’s not a planet anymore

They met in Prague and voted
Now Pluto’s been demoted
Oh, Pluto’s not a planet anymore

Tracing Mars' Atmosphere

One of the instruments on a 2016 mission to orbit Mars will provide daily maps of global, pole-to-pole, vertical distributions of the temperature, dust, water vapor and ice clouds in the Martian atmosphere.

If you drew a picture of Olympus Mons and put it next to Mt. Everest and the big island of Hawaii, even down to the base of the ocean, they look like mole hills compared to Olympus Mons. That mountain is so large that you could be on its slope and not know that you are on it, the base is that big.
Neil Degrasse Tyson speaking about the tallest volcano in our solar system, Olympus Mons, which is found on Mars.

(It’s the size of the state of Missouri, and is 16.7 miles high at it’s peak!)