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Search Results: Planet
A relatively large celestial body moving in orbit around a star, in particular the Sun.Planets are by-products of the formation of the Sun, which...
The largest planet in the solar system, and the fifth in the order of distance from the Sun. It is visible to the unaided eye except for short...
The first planet to be discovered with the telescope and the seventh in the order of distance from the Sun. It was found accidentally by W. Herschel...
The fourth planet outward from the Sun. Mars is the planet most like Earth in terms of geology, climate, and suitability for life. It is also the...
Formerly considered the outermost planet, tiny Pluto is now recognized to be one of the largest and closest members of a disk of icy planetesimals...
The second largest planet in the solar system and the sixth in order of distance to the Sun. The outermost planet known prior to 1781, Saturn is...
The Sun and the bodies moving in orbit around it. The most massive body in the solar system is the Sun, a typical single star that is itself in orbit...
Systems of planets (in 'Extrasolar planet research' update)
The first planets to be discovered were the easiest. They induced large Doppler shifts in the spectra of their parent stars because they were big and
Transiting planets (in 'Extrasolar planet research' update)
The orbits of extrasolar planets are thought to be randomly oriented in space; it is therefore uncommon for the Earth to lie very near a planet's orbi
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= Encyclopedia Article; = Research Update
Figure 1. Images of Mars in 90° longitude steps through one complete rotation. When the Hubble Space Telescope obtained these views in 1999, the planet...
From Encyclopedia article 'Mars'
Figure 1. Jupiter. (a) Telescopic appearance from the Hubble Space Telescope (Space Telescope Science Institute: Jet Propulsion Laboratory;...
From Encyclopedia article 'Jupiter'
Figure 1. Miranda viewed from Voyager 2. Features as small as 2000 ft (600 m) across are visible. The two regions of grooved terrain are remarkable,...
From Encyclopedia article 'Uranus'
These Q&A items contain at least one mention of your search term(s) and may be useful in your research:
Q: What does it take to be a planet?
Q: Why are celestial bodies spherical?
Q: Is Pluto a planet? What characteristics does it need to be considered a planet?
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