The earth's diameter is 12,756.3 km and its revolution period is 1 year. You probably knew the last fact, but most likely not the first. The Web site Absolutely Astronomy can provide this and a large amount of other facts about planets, moons, stars, constellations, messier objects, nebulas, and galaxies. Visitors can browse via the pull-down menus or search by a particular question. The basic...

The Astronomy 161-The Solar System online course is maintained by the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Tennessee. The twenty two chapters cover everything from time and scale in the universe, development of modern astronomy, the planets, asteroids, meteors, and everything in between. Text, photographs, illustrations, and movies, help users understand the topics along with a...

Ricky Leon Murphy decided to create this website when he was working towards a master’s degree in astronomy, and he still keeps it updated regularly, along with the assistance of his wife, Chanthirar. The site has been the recipient of several awards over the past few years, and visitors looking for basic and accessible information about the world of astronomy will not be disappointed. Near the...

The Galileo Spacecraft "has detected a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere on Jupiter's moon Callisto, and has confirmed the existence of carbon dioxide on Callisto's surface." This epiphany is very exciting because it means that all of Jupiter's Galilean moons, Callisto, Europa, Io, and Ganymede, have some form of atmosphere. This site is a news release from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Provided by the US Geological Survey Astrology Research Program, the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature Web site contains nearly everything you ever wanted to know about naming the physical features of planets. The site provides a history of the activity, details how names are approved, and of course contains an exhaustive list. For example, did you know that an Apollo 16 astronaut named a...

It is one thing to know intellectually that the universe is enormous, but it is another thing entirely to genuinely understand just how vast it is and how tiny humans are in comparison. One tool to help provide that perspective is this wonderful visualization created by Josh Worth, a graphic and web designer based in Los Angeles. As its title suggests, this project is "a tediously accurate scale...

Scientists at the 30th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference held March 15-19, 1999 in Houston, Texas, have presented support for the theory that the "bulk of the Moon was ripped away from the early Earth when an object the size of Mars collided with the Earth." Analysis of data collected from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Lunar Prospector spacecraft has supported...

In one of the most successful flybys of all time, the NEAR spacecraft passed within 1200 km of asteroid 253 Mathilde on June 27. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has created a website to document this event. The site contains information on the NEAR mission objectives, science goals, and Mathilde itself. It also features images of the asteroid, a flyby simulation, and an MPEG...

Last discussed in the 06-10-2005 Scout Report, NASA's Solar System Exploration website continues to offer a number of engaging ways to learn about planets, dwarf planets, moons, and other celestial bodies that make up our solar system. This sleekly designed and frequently updated website - featuring stunning photographs, detailed diagrams, educational resources, and a number of interesting...

One of three divisions within the Office of Space Science at NASA, the Sun-Earth Connection has the primary goal of understanding the Sun, Heliosphere, and planetary environments as a single connected system. The Web site offers visitors information on space science missions including the Living with a Star and Solar Terrestrial Probes mission. Meeting notes and official reports can be viewed...