Space

We refer to age on Earth in years, with a year being the time it takes Earth to complete a revolution around the sun. In other words, age can be defined as the number of complete orbits that Earth has made around the Sun during a person's lifetime. ​ ​The length of a year on a planet depends on its distance from the Sun—the farther a planet is, the longer its orbit takes. Consequently, the concept of age, measured in years, differs across planets in our Solar System. In this article, we...

Venus, often called Earth’s "twin planet," is one of the most captivating worlds in our solar system. Though it shares a similar size and composition with Earth, it’s a planet of wild extremes: boiling temperatures, crushing pressure, and a sky swirling with acid clouds. Ready to be amazed? Here are 10 jaw-dropping facts that will make you see this planet in a new light. ​

We refer to age on Earth in years, with a year being the time it takes Earth to complete a revolution around the sun. In other words, age can be defined as the number of complete orbits that Earth has made around the Sun during a person's lifetime. ​

Planes usually fly in the lowest parts of the stratosphere layer. The air is a bit thinner, so there is not much resistance, which makes the planes fly faster. ​Almost all clouds you see up in the sky appear in the troposphere, and 99% of the water that vaporizes from the surface is found here. ​The ozone layer, the one that protects us from radiation that comes from the Sun and outer space, is found in the stratosphere.

Venus, often called Earth’s "twin planet," is one of the most captivating worlds in our solar system. Though it shares a similar size and composition with Earth, it’s a planet of wild extremes: boiling temperatures, crushing pressure, and a sky swirling with acid clouds. Ready to be amazed? Here are 10 jaw-dropping facts that will make you see this planet in a new light.

In 1859, a massive solar storm, the Carrington Event, hit Earth—telegraphs failed, skies lit up far from the poles, and today, a similar event could knock out satellites and power grids.

As of March 2025, Saturn holds the record currently with 274 confirmed natural satellites, far surpassing Jupiter’s 95 and dwarfing the sparse systems of other planets. This tally, certified by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center, reflects rapid advances in deep-imaging surveys that reveal kilometre-scale bodies hidden within Saturn’s extensive Hill sphere. ​

The universe is both a beautiful and destructive place. Across the cosmos, stars and planets form within massive galaxies. These stars may shine for many billions of years, offering their planets stability for countless generations. However, on occasion, stars may devour their own planets. This can happen in a multitude of different ways, from planets gradually losing orbital energy to a star expanding and swallowing any nearby planets.

Humans usually have a hard time dealing with the fact of how their life is very much finite. You never know the exact expiration date, but you are sure it will happen one day. The same goes when we try to understand concepts that go well beyond the notion of time, from a human and a mortal perspective.

Speed shapes cosmic structure and human ambition alike. The Universe imposes an ultimate ceiling, the speed of light, 299,792,458 m/s, yet within that bound, nature and technology produce remarkable record-holders.

Of the eight planets in our solar system, Saturn appears to be the only one surrounded by a system of rings. Saturn’s ring system is what makes it such a popular and beautiful planet. Without rings, Saturn would look more like a watered-down version of Jupiter. Although it has the most spectacular ring system in the solar system, Saturn is not the only planet that has rings.

In our Solar System, planets are traditionally categorized according to their composition into terrestrial bodies, composed primarily of rocky material, and giant planets, which include both gas and ice giants. Their respective temperatures are largely determined by each planet’s internal structure and its orbital distance from the Sun. In addition, variations in atmospheric composition and properties play a critical role in regulating how much heat is emitted and retained, thereby...

Black holes are some of the most fascinating objects in the universe. As is commonly stated, their gravitational pull is so strong that not even light can escape them. However, this is only one of their many remarkable properties. Hawking showed half a century ago that black holes are not really black; they radiate and thus have a temperature.

The great ball of fire in the sky (or rather, plasma, to be exact) holds the solar system together and provides the heat, energy, and illumination necessary to sustain life on Earth. And yet, the Sun itself is the most overwhelmingly inhospitable environment imaginable. Its core burns hot enough to sustain nuclear fusion, and its "surface," though relatively cool, is still capable of boiling diamonds.

Moons are celestial companions to the planets of our solar system with their diverse sizes, formations, and orbital patterns. These celestial entities, spanning from rocky to icy landscapes, wield significant influence over planetary dynamics.