Space Wonders:
For thousands of years we have gazed with wonder upon the cosmic ocean of space. Ancient stargazers were curious and fascinated by certain points of light that appeared to move among the stars. These objects observed in space were named "planets", meaning wanderers. The astronomers also recognized comets with trailing tails and meteors of "shooting stars" that appeared to fall from the sky. Since the invention of the telescope, we have discovered thousands of asteroids, a small number of dwarf planets, and the Kuiper Belt. At one time, astronomers believed that our galaxy was indeed the entire universe. However, ground and space telescopes have proven that our Milky Way galaxy is just one of approximately 200 billion islands of stars moving about within our universe. Come join me as we explore the wonders of the universe. Feel free to double-click on the images for better quality viewing.
Sun (Sol):
Classification: Yellow Dwarf Star
Diameter at Equator: 865,000 miles
Outer Surface Temperature: 9,900 degrees F
Inner Core Temperature: 281,000,000 degrees F
Orbital Speed: 140 miles per second
Composition: 70% hydrogen, 28% helium, and 2% other metals
Important Facts: Also known as Sol, the Sun is at the center of our solar system. It is the only object in our solar system that emits light. It is a star of average size, brightness, and intensity. The Sun provides light and energy for life on Earth. It affects our planet's seasons, weather, climate, and ocean currents. The Sun's gravitational pull holds all of the objects within our solar system. They include: planets, moons, asteroids, comets, etc.
Diameter at Equator: 865,000 miles
Outer Surface Temperature: 9,900 degrees F
Inner Core Temperature: 281,000,000 degrees F
Orbital Speed: 140 miles per second
Composition: 70% hydrogen, 28% helium, and 2% other metals
Important Facts: Also known as Sol, the Sun is at the center of our solar system. It is the only object in our solar system that emits light. It is a star of average size, brightness, and intensity. The Sun provides light and energy for life on Earth. It affects our planet's seasons, weather, climate, and ocean currents. The Sun's gravitational pull holds all of the objects within our solar system. They include: planets, moons, asteroids, comets, etc.
Mercury:
Classification: Terrestrial Planet
Diameter at Equator: 3,030 miles
Distance from the Sun: 36 million miles
Temperature: -279 degrees F (night side) to 800 degrees F (day side)
Length of Orbit: 88 Earth days
Orbital Speed: 29.7 miles per second
Important Facts: Mercury is the closest planet to our Sun and it is the smallest planet in our solar system. It has the greatest daily temperature variations of all planets. The temperature variation is due to the small planet orbiting around the Sun in a fixed position. That is, it does not spin on its axis as it orbits the Sun. The planet has a relatively large core with very little crust and mantle. It is first visited in 1974-1975 by the Mariner 10 space probe. Mercury has no moon.
Diameter at Equator: 3,030 miles
Distance from the Sun: 36 million miles
Temperature: -279 degrees F (night side) to 800 degrees F (day side)
Length of Orbit: 88 Earth days
Orbital Speed: 29.7 miles per second
Important Facts: Mercury is the closest planet to our Sun and it is the smallest planet in our solar system. It has the greatest daily temperature variations of all planets. The temperature variation is due to the small planet orbiting around the Sun in a fixed position. That is, it does not spin on its axis as it orbits the Sun. The planet has a relatively large core with very little crust and mantle. It is first visited in 1974-1975 by the Mariner 10 space probe. Mercury has no moon.
Venus:
Classification: Terrestrial Planet
Diameter at Equator: 7,520 miles
Distance from the Sun: 67.2 miles
Surface Temperature: 870 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 243 Earth days
Orbital Speed: 21.8 miles per second
Important Facts: Venus is the second planet from the Sun and it has the most circular orbit of any planet. It is the third to the brightest object in the Earth's sky. Venus is nearly the same size as our own planet Earth. It is sometimes referred to as the "Morning Star" or "Evening Star". Venus has a thickly shrouded atmosphere composed of the greenhouse gasses and rains sulfuric acid. It had land features similar to Earth, but because temperatures are extremely high, no liquid water is present on its surface. Venus has flat, volcanic plains and shallow craters. Venus has no moon.
Diameter at Equator: 7,520 miles
Distance from the Sun: 67.2 miles
Surface Temperature: 870 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 243 Earth days
Orbital Speed: 21.8 miles per second
Important Facts: Venus is the second planet from the Sun and it has the most circular orbit of any planet. It is the third to the brightest object in the Earth's sky. Venus is nearly the same size as our own planet Earth. It is sometimes referred to as the "Morning Star" or "Evening Star". Venus has a thickly shrouded atmosphere composed of the greenhouse gasses and rains sulfuric acid. It had land features similar to Earth, but because temperatures are extremely high, no liquid water is present on its surface. Venus has flat, volcanic plains and shallow craters. Venus has no moon.
Earth:
Classification: Terrestrial Planet
Diameter at Equator: 7,930 miles
Distance from the Sun: 93 million miles
Surface Temperature: -95 to 130 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 365.25 days
Orbital Speed: 18.5 miles per second
Important Facts: Earth is covered with roughly 71% water and has many different land forms and ecosystems. Its atmosphere extends for 600 miles above the surface and is composed of 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 2% trace gasses. Earth is the third planet from the Sun and it is the only planet in our solar system to support life. The oldest fossils of living organisms date back to about 3.8 billion years old. Earth has one moon.
Diameter at Equator: 7,930 miles
Distance from the Sun: 93 million miles
Surface Temperature: -95 to 130 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 365.25 days
Orbital Speed: 18.5 miles per second
Important Facts: Earth is covered with roughly 71% water and has many different land forms and ecosystems. Its atmosphere extends for 600 miles above the surface and is composed of 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 2% trace gasses. Earth is the third planet from the Sun and it is the only planet in our solar system to support life. The oldest fossils of living organisms date back to about 3.8 billion years old. Earth has one moon.
Moon (Luna):
Classification: Satellite for Earth
Diameter at Equator: 2,160 miles
Distance from the Earth: 239,000 miles
Surface Temperature: -245 to 200 degrees F (surface)
Length of Orbit: 27.3 Earth days to orbit Earth
Orbital Speed: .64 miles per second
Important Facts: The Moon is the only satellite orbiting our planet Earth. It has no atmosphere and it is rocky and heavily cratered, especially the far side. The gravitational forces between Earth and the Moon create high and low ocean tides. The Moon was first visited in 1959 by Luna 2 spacecraft. The highly cratered (light in color) regions of the Moon are composed of igneous rocks known as feldspars, while the low-lying regions of the Moon (darker in color) contain basalts.
Diameter at Equator: 2,160 miles
Distance from the Earth: 239,000 miles
Surface Temperature: -245 to 200 degrees F (surface)
Length of Orbit: 27.3 Earth days to orbit Earth
Orbital Speed: .64 miles per second
Important Facts: The Moon is the only satellite orbiting our planet Earth. It has no atmosphere and it is rocky and heavily cratered, especially the far side. The gravitational forces between Earth and the Moon create high and low ocean tides. The Moon was first visited in 1959 by Luna 2 spacecraft. The highly cratered (light in color) regions of the Moon are composed of igneous rocks known as feldspars, while the low-lying regions of the Moon (darker in color) contain basalts.
Mars:
Classification: Terrestrial Planet
Diameter at Equator: 4,220 miles
Distance from the Sun: 141.6 million miles
Surface Temperature: -184 to 220 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 687 Earth days
Orbital Speed: 15 miles per second
Important Facts: Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It has a very thin atmosphere composed mostly of carbon dioxide. Red dust that comes mostly from iron oxide in the surface soil covers the planet. Mars has 24 hours and 37 minutes in a day. Its surface contains rocky desert environments, craters, canyons, volcanoes, and polar ice caps. It was first explored by Mariner 2 in 1962. Mars has two moons.
Diameter at Equator: 4,220 miles
Distance from the Sun: 141.6 million miles
Surface Temperature: -184 to 220 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 687 Earth days
Orbital Speed: 15 miles per second
Important Facts: Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It has a very thin atmosphere composed mostly of carbon dioxide. Red dust that comes mostly from iron oxide in the surface soil covers the planet. Mars has 24 hours and 37 minutes in a day. Its surface contains rocky desert environments, craters, canyons, volcanoes, and polar ice caps. It was first explored by Mariner 2 in 1962. Mars has two moons.
Asteroid Belt:
Classification: Group of asteroids
Diameter at Equator: Each asteroid ranges from a few feet to hundreds of miles wide.
Distance from the Sun: 167 to 418 million miles
Length of Orbit: 3 to 6 Earth years
Pioneer 10 space probe first traveled through the asteroid belt in 1972. The Dawn Mission spacecraft reached the outer edge of the asteroid belt during the year 2011 when it first reached a large asteroid named Vesta. NASA expects the Dawn Mission spacecraft to continue traversing the asteroid belt until eventually reaching the dwarf planet Ceres by the year 2015.
Diameter at Equator: Each asteroid ranges from a few feet to hundreds of miles wide.
Distance from the Sun: 167 to 418 million miles
Length of Orbit: 3 to 6 Earth years
Pioneer 10 space probe first traveled through the asteroid belt in 1972. The Dawn Mission spacecraft reached the outer edge of the asteroid belt during the year 2011 when it first reached a large asteroid named Vesta. NASA expects the Dawn Mission spacecraft to continue traversing the asteroid belt until eventually reaching the dwarf planet Ceres by the year 2015.
Ceres:
Classification: Dwarf Planet
Diameter at Equator: 590 miles
Distance from the Sun: 257 million miles
Surface Temperature: -148 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 4.6 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 11 miles per second
Important Facts: This dwarf planet lies within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Its surface is rocky and surrounded by a thick, icy mantle. The Dawn Mission spacecraft was launched in 2007 and should reach Ceres in 2015. Ceres has no moon.
Diameter at Equator: 590 miles
Distance from the Sun: 257 million miles
Surface Temperature: -148 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 4.6 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 11 miles per second
Important Facts: This dwarf planet lies within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Its surface is rocky and surrounded by a thick, icy mantle. The Dawn Mission spacecraft was launched in 2007 and should reach Ceres in 2015. Ceres has no moon.
Jupiter:
Classification: Jovian Planet
Diameter at Equator: 88,850 miles
Distance from the Sun: 484 million miles
Surface Temperature: -238 degrees F (top of clouds)
Length of Orbit: 11.86 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 8.1 miles per second
Important Facts: Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun. Jupiter does not have a solid surface. The core is made of condensed gasses and metallic ores. Its atmospheric composition is 90% hydrogen and 10% helium. It is the largest planet in our solar system. Jupiter has a stationary, hurricane-like storm known as the Great Red Spot. Jupiter was first explored by Pioneer 10 in 1973. Jupiter has 66 known moons and a small ring system.
Diameter at Equator: 88,850 miles
Distance from the Sun: 484 million miles
Surface Temperature: -238 degrees F (top of clouds)
Length of Orbit: 11.86 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 8.1 miles per second
Important Facts: Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun. Jupiter does not have a solid surface. The core is made of condensed gasses and metallic ores. Its atmospheric composition is 90% hydrogen and 10% helium. It is the largest planet in our solar system. Jupiter has a stationary, hurricane-like storm known as the Great Red Spot. Jupiter was first explored by Pioneer 10 in 1973. Jupiter has 66 known moons and a small ring system.
Saturn:
Classification: Jovian Planet
Diameter at Equator: 74,900 miles
Distance from the Sun: 890 million miles
Surface Temperature: -292 degrees F (top of clouds)
Length of Orbit: 29.4 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 6.1 miles per second
Important Facts: Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It has a prominent ring system composed of many rock particle sizes including water and ice. Like Jupiter, it does not have a solid surface. Its atmospheric composition is 75% hydrogen and 25% helium. Saturn was first explored by Pioneer 11 in 1979. It has 60 known moons.
Diameter at Equator: 74,900 miles
Distance from the Sun: 890 million miles
Surface Temperature: -292 degrees F (top of clouds)
Length of Orbit: 29.4 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 6.1 miles per second
Important Facts: Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It has a prominent ring system composed of many rock particle sizes including water and ice. Like Jupiter, it does not have a solid surface. Its atmospheric composition is 75% hydrogen and 25% helium. Saturn was first explored by Pioneer 11 in 1979. It has 60 known moons.
Uranus:
Classification: Jovian Planet
Diameter at Equator: 31,760 miles
Distance from the Sun: 1.785 billion miles
Surface Temperature: -345 degrees F (top of clouds)
Length of Orbit: 83.8 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 4.2 miles per second
Important Facts: Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. Like the other Jovian planets, Uranus does not have a solid surface. Its atmospheric composition includes hydrogen, helium, and methane. The blue-green color is caused by methane, which absorbs red light and reflects blue light. Uranus is unusual compared to the other planets in that its axis of rotation, orientation of rings, and orbits of its moons are roughly perpendicular. It has 11 known but faint rings and 27 known moons. Uranus was once visited by the space probe Voyager 2 in 1986.
Diameter at Equator: 31,760 miles
Distance from the Sun: 1.785 billion miles
Surface Temperature: -345 degrees F (top of clouds)
Length of Orbit: 83.8 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 4.2 miles per second
Important Facts: Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. Like the other Jovian planets, Uranus does not have a solid surface. Its atmospheric composition includes hydrogen, helium, and methane. The blue-green color is caused by methane, which absorbs red light and reflects blue light. Uranus is unusual compared to the other planets in that its axis of rotation, orientation of rings, and orbits of its moons are roughly perpendicular. It has 11 known but faint rings and 27 known moons. Uranus was once visited by the space probe Voyager 2 in 1986.
Neptune:
Classification: Jovian Planet
Diameter at Equator: 30,775 miles
Distance from the Sun: 2.793 billion miles
Surface Temperature: -346 degrees F (top of clouds)
Length of Orbit: 163.7 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 3.4 miles per second
Important Facts: Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. It does not appear to have a solid surface, but it does have a non-stationary hurricane-like storm called the Great Dark Spot. Neptune's atmospheric composition is mostly hydrogen and methane. It has four very faint, thin rings and 13 known moons. Neptune has been visited one time by the Voyager 2 in 1989.
Diameter at Equator: 30,775 miles
Distance from the Sun: 2.793 billion miles
Surface Temperature: -346 degrees F (top of clouds)
Length of Orbit: 163.7 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 3.4 miles per second
Important Facts: Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. It does not appear to have a solid surface, but it does have a non-stationary hurricane-like storm called the Great Dark Spot. Neptune's atmospheric composition is mostly hydrogen and methane. It has four very faint, thin rings and 13 known moons. Neptune has been visited one time by the Voyager 2 in 1989.
Kuiper Belt:
Classification: Group of Kuiper Belt Objects
Diameter at Equator: Each KBO ranges from less than one mile to more than 1,000 miles.
Distance from the Sun: 2.8 to 4.6 billion miles
Important Facts: The Kuiper Belt extends from Neptune's orbit to around 5 billion miles from the Sun. The belt contains many icy objects and debris, dwarf planets, and countless comets. Astronomers estimate that the Kuiper Belt has more than 35,000 objects 62 miles or wider in diameter within its orbital cloud. The Kuiper Belt has often been called our solar system's "final frontier".
Diameter at Equator: Each KBO ranges from less than one mile to more than 1,000 miles.
Distance from the Sun: 2.8 to 4.6 billion miles
Important Facts: The Kuiper Belt extends from Neptune's orbit to around 5 billion miles from the Sun. The belt contains many icy objects and debris, dwarf planets, and countless comets. Astronomers estimate that the Kuiper Belt has more than 35,000 objects 62 miles or wider in diameter within its orbital cloud. The Kuiper Belt has often been called our solar system's "final frontier".
Pluto:
Classification: Dwarf Planet
Diameter at Equator: 1,485 miles
Distance from the Sun: 3.65 billion miles
Average Temperature: -346 to -391 (surface)
Length of Orbit: 248 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 2.95 miles per second
Important Facts: Smaller than Earth's Moon, Pluto appears to be covered with thick ice and have a highly eccentric orbit. Little is known about its atmosphere, but more than likely it consists of nitrogen and some methane. The spacecraft New Horizons will be making its way to Pluto in a few years. Pluto has three moons.
Diameter at Equator: 1,485 miles
Distance from the Sun: 3.65 billion miles
Average Temperature: -346 to -391 (surface)
Length of Orbit: 248 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 2.95 miles per second
Important Facts: Smaller than Earth's Moon, Pluto appears to be covered with thick ice and have a highly eccentric orbit. Little is known about its atmosphere, but more than likely it consists of nitrogen and some methane. The spacecraft New Horizons will be making its way to Pluto in a few years. Pluto has three moons.
Haumea:
Classification: Dwarf Planet
Diameter at Equator: 1,150 miles (estimated)
Distance from the Sun: 4.04 billion miles
Average Temperature: -402 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 285.4 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 2.79 miles per second
Important Facts: Haumea has an unusual football shape. It was respectfully named for the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth and the personification of stone. It has the fastest rotation speed of any dwarf planet or planet. Haumea has two known moons.
Diameter at Equator: 1,150 miles (estimated)
Distance from the Sun: 4.04 billion miles
Average Temperature: -402 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 285.4 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 2.79 miles per second
Important Facts: Haumea has an unusual football shape. It was respectfully named for the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth and the personification of stone. It has the fastest rotation speed of any dwarf planet or planet. Haumea has two known moons.
Makemake:
Classification: Dwarf Planet
Diameter at Equator: 800 to 1,200 miles (estimated)
Distance from the Sun: 4.3 billion miles
Average Temperature: -406 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 303.9 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 2.73 miles per second
Important Facts: Makemake is the second to the brightest object in the Kuiper Belt. It is most likely covered with a thick layer of ice and possess an atmosphere composed of methane. Makemake was named from the god of Rapa Nui (Easter Island, South Pacific) and was considered to be the creator of humanity and god of fertility. No moons are present.
Diameter at Equator: 800 to 1,200 miles (estimated)
Distance from the Sun: 4.3 billion miles
Average Temperature: -406 degrees F
Length of Orbit: 303.9 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 2.73 miles per second
Important Facts: Makemake is the second to the brightest object in the Kuiper Belt. It is most likely covered with a thick layer of ice and possess an atmosphere composed of methane. Makemake was named from the god of Rapa Nui (Easter Island, South Pacific) and was considered to be the creator of humanity and god of fertility. No moons are present.
Eris:
Classification: Dwarf Planet
Diameter at Equator: 1,490 to 1,870 miles (estimated)
Distance from the Sun: 6.29 billion miles
Average Temperature: -382 degrees F (surface)
Length of Orbit: 557 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 2.14 miles per second
Important Facts: Eris is the largest known object in the Kuiper Belt and the largest known dwarf planet. Most likely this dwarf planet has a rocky surface covered with ice and an atmosphere composed of methane. Eris was named after the Greek goddess of discord and strife. After visiting Pluto in 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft will continue farther into the Kuiper and eventually make it to Eris and its one known moon.
Diameter at Equator: 1,490 to 1,870 miles (estimated)
Distance from the Sun: 6.29 billion miles
Average Temperature: -382 degrees F (surface)
Length of Orbit: 557 Earth years
Orbital Speed: 2.14 miles per second
Important Facts: Eris is the largest known object in the Kuiper Belt and the largest known dwarf planet. Most likely this dwarf planet has a rocky surface covered with ice and an atmosphere composed of methane. Eris was named after the Greek goddess of discord and strife. After visiting Pluto in 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft will continue farther into the Kuiper and eventually make it to Eris and its one known moon.
Oort Cloud:
The Oort Cloud is a theoretical shell of small, rocky, and icy bodies postulated to orbit the Sun beyond the orbit of Pluto and up to 1.5 billion light years from the Sun. Although a few comets in our solar system come from Kuiper Belt, most are thought to originate from the Oort Cloud. Although its existence has not yet been proven through direct observation, the reality of the Oort Cloud is widely accepted by the astronomers and scientific community. It is believed that the comets are formed when passing stars knock some of the objects in the Oort Cloud out of their orbits.
Comets:
Comets are one of the more interesting spectacles that sometimes grace our night sky. They are small, icy, and rocky objects with very elliptical orbits around the Sun. Each comet is unique is its physical structure and chemical composition. Comets are thought to come from a very outer part of our solar system, well beyond the orbit of Neptune. As a comet nears the Sun, gas and dust are stripped off by the solar wind and carried outward, forming a tail that always points away from the Sun. A new comet, ISON, is approaching our Earth and Sun. Soon, as it traverses our solar system it will be visible in the early morning hours.
Star Clusters:
There are two basic types of star clusters: open cluster and globular cluster. Open clusters, such as the Pleiades, contain hundreds of stars and can fill the space in a 25 mm viewing lens. A globular cluster contains thousands of stars but is a very small, cloud-like image. Globular clusters look smaller than the open clusters because they are farther away. Some have individual stars that stand out, but most are seen as faint clouds of light. Star clusters are visible in all parts of the sky at all times of the year. Most of the globular clusters are located near the center of our galaxy, but there are many to be viewed year-round in all parts of the night sky.
Stars:
A star is a giant ball of hot gas held together by its own gravity. It generates light by nuclear reaction and emanates it in all directions. Stars appear as fixed points of light in the sky. Since antiquity (ancient times), people have assigned patterns to stars that tell stories. These patterns are the constellations. A Hertzsprung-Russell diagram graphs stars by their luminosity and surface temperature. Classifying stars in this manner organizes them into groups with similar colors. Color shows age and temperature; that is, a burning gas will change color depending on its temperature.
Binary Stars:
A binary star is a star system of two stars that revolve around a common center of mass. Since there are tremendous distances in space, it is not always possible to determine if two stars are actually revolving around a common center of mass or if they are just visual binaries. Visual binaries appear to be right next each other, but one is actually farther away than the other. Two of the most beautiful and easy to locate binaries lie in the Summer Triangle, which is formed by three stars: Altair, Deneb, and Vega. The first binary is Albireo, in Cygnus. It is a red giant yellowish in color. Right next to it is a smaller blue star. The second is two binaries right next to each other.
Galaxies:
Galaxies are giant "islands" of stars in space. By estimation, there are billions of galaxies in the universe. Each galaxy has an estimated 100 billion stars or more. Galaxies exist in galaxy clusters and superclusters. Our galaxy is the Milky Way. The closest galaxy to us is the Andromeda Galaxy which is 2.5 million light years away. The Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies both belong to same local group of clusters. There are three major types of galaxies: spiral, elliptical, and irregular. The Andromeda Galaxy is visible to the naked eye in very dark skies. In dark skies, you can make out the various shapes of the galaxies.
Milky Way Galaxy:
Classification: Barred, Spiral Galaxy
Age: 13.2 billion years old
Approximate number of stars: 300 billion
Constellation: Sagittarius
Our Milky Way is a huge city of stars, so big that even at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 light years to travel across it. All the stars in the night sky, including the Sun, are just some of the residents of our galaxy. Unlike a regular spiral galaxy, the Milky Way contains a bar across its central region known as the Galactic Center. It has two major arms and two significant minor arms which rotate around the galactic center. Our Sun and solar system are located within the Orion Arm.
Age: 13.2 billion years old
Approximate number of stars: 300 billion
Constellation: Sagittarius
Our Milky Way is a huge city of stars, so big that even at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 light years to travel across it. All the stars in the night sky, including the Sun, are just some of the residents of our galaxy. Unlike a regular spiral galaxy, the Milky Way contains a bar across its central region known as the Galactic Center. It has two major arms and two significant minor arms which rotate around the galactic center. Our Sun and solar system are located within the Orion Arm.
Nebulae:
Nebulae are clouds of interstellar gas and dust. There are two basic shapes or types: diffuse nebulae and planetary nebulae. Diffuse nebulae do not have specific boundaries. They may contain stars or sit in front of or behind stars. Planetary nebulae have a circular or spherical shape. They were named "planetary" nebulae because the early astronomers thought they resembled planet shapes. Nebulae are the remnants of stars that have died. These stars have exploded and spread out their remaining mass as gas and dust. They then can become stellar nurseries. Stars are born as mass in the nebulae condenses by gravity and forms a new star.
Orion Constellation:
The Orion Constellation was named after a hunter in Greek mythology. Located on the celestial equator, Orion is one of the most prominent and recognizable constellations in the night sky and can be seen around the world. Orion's belt, which shines brightly within its constellation, has three prominent stars named Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka. The right shoulder of Orion contains the second of the brightest stars named Betelgeuse which is a red giant star and the blue-white giant star Bellatrix makes up the left shoulder of Orion. The Orion Nebula, which is a formation of space dust, hydrogen, helium, and other gasses is located south of Orion's Belt. The Horsehead Nebula is nearby.
Ursa Major Constellation:
Ursa Major lies in the northern sky. Its name means the "Great Bear". Ursa Major is one of the best known constellations in the night sky. It contains a number of notable stars and famous deep sky objects, such as the Pinwheel Galaxy, Cigar Galaxy, Owl Galaxy, and the bright galaxies Messier 81 and Messier 82. The brightest stars in the constellation form the "Big Dipper" asterism, which is one of the most easily recognizable shapes in the night sky. The "Big Dipper" contains the body and tail of the bear. This constellation is visible during the entire year in most of the northern hemisphere, and it can excellently be seen in April.
