Planetary
Astronomy Resources
Planetary astronomy is the study of
planets which are objects in stable
orbits around a star. Since planets were first observed around the sun,
people have wondered what they might be like. Today, we know that
there are planets around other stars, too. The study of planets has
been
advanced greatly by huge telescopes, including space based telescopes
like the Hubble Space Telescope. See the
December 17 picture to the right, of Mars taken with the Hubble telescope
in December of 2007. Click here
to see it much larger.
Planetary astronomy has its own Planetary
Society, which you can join
if the planets interest you. The Planetary Society also promotes interest
in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence,
though that search is mostly
for intelligent life beyond our solar system.
We can do no better here than the Planetary Society at providing you
with links to the many space exploration projects, past and present.
Here is
a link to their page containing that list.
The Galileo mission
Here is the history of a fabulous, 14 year mission to the planet Jupiter:
Galileo. A great site about the Galileo mission and it's discoveries
up to and beyond the moment when it was destroyed by a plunge ito the
dense atmosphere of Jupiter.
Cassini mission
to Saturn
"Cassini successfully completed its most recent Titan flyby on
Dec. 20, 2007, and data are currently being analyzed. During this flyby,
the radar instrument studied Titan's "deep south." This will
allow scientists to contrast this region against what they found in
the lake regions of the north polar area. The spacecraft went as far
south as 70 degrees. The radar imaged areas of the Tsegihi region it
had not yet seen, and got some overlap in coverage. New ground was covered
south of the dune fields of Belet. " NASA/JPL
Catch up on and follow this amazing, ongoing study of Saturn and its
moons.
The Voyager Mission
"NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft has followed its twin Voyager 1 into
the solar system's final frontier, a vast region at the edge of our
solar system where the solar wind runs up against the thin gas between
the stars" . NASA/JPL
The two Voyager spacecraft are truly going where man has gone... even
where no spacecraft has gone before. These probes are telling us about
space at the fringe of our solar system and beyond. Fanscinating!
Space Shuttle
photographs Few vehicles have been photographed as much as the Space
Shuttles. Few have taken as many stunning pictures of the Earth from
an occupied platform in orbit around it. Here it is, for you to see.
NASA Planetary Photojournal
is a tremendous collection planetary
photos from NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ).
Browse the the Earth as
a planet on the USGS site. Understand how
geology, meteorology and biology are included in planetary science.
NASA Mars exploration Now that
we have sent several spacecraft to
Mars, we have a huge collection of data and photographs of Mars from
space as well as from it's surface. We also have chemical and physical
information about several locations on its surface. The link at the
beginning of this paragraph can provide you with many days of fascinating
photos and printed information.
The Pluto Challenge
So, they tell you that you can't observe Pluto with an amateur telescope?
If you are an intermediate or advanced observer, you must read what
this site has to tell you about how you CAN observe Pluto.
Created January 2, 2008
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Books about the Planets
Enjoy beautiful and informative books
about the planets. These books also make inspiring gifts for young people.
Review with the option to purchase. CLICK
HERE !