Ask almost anyone which planet has rings around it, and you’ll get the answer “Saturn”, especially if they’ve ever viewed it through a telescope. But not many people know that the other gas giants in our Solar System – Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune – also have rings, although they’re much fainter than those of Saturn.
Most Australians are enthusiastic beachgoers, and we all take for granted the waves that wash our shores. But supposing there were seas on other worlds – would they have such waves too?
In an extremely rare event, Australians will be able to see five planets in the sky at the same time – with the naked eye.
The bright string of lights in the morning sky this month is thought to be a one-in-1000-year event. Australia’s astronomer at large, Professor Fred Watson, explains why and where you can watch it.
There’s a whole solar system of exciting astronomical events to look forward to this year.
With planets viewable to the naked eye and some exciting astronomical events coming up, now’s the time to turn your eyes to the sky.
We now know that there is permanent liquid water on Mars, according to a paper published today in the journal Science.
Initially mistaken for a gold nugget, this rare dendritic trolite-irons meteorite is one of only five specimens known worldwide and it’s the biggest, weighing in at 15.3 kg.
A new project could allow a citizen scientist to lay claim to the first new planet discovered in our Solar System in over 150 years.
Hubble Space Telescope captures the colourful death of a star like our Sun, 4000 light years away.