Welcome to the Planets. Solar System, Solar System Information. Our Cosmic Neighborhood From our small world we have gazed upon the cosmic ocean for thousands of years. Ancient astronomers observed points of light that appeared to move among the stars. They called these objects "planets," meaning wanderers, and named them after Roman deities—Jupiter, king of the gods; Mars, the god of war; Mercury, messenger of the gods; Venus, the goddes of love and beauty, and Saturn, father of Jupiter and god of agriculture. The stargazers also observed comets with sparkling tails, and meteors or shooting stars apparently falling from the sky. Since the invention of the telescope, three more planets have been discovered in our solar system: Uranus (1781), Neptune (1846), and, now downgraded to a dwarf planet, Pluto (1930).
The four planets closest to the sun—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—are called the terrestrial planets because they have solid rocky surfaces. Nearly every planet—and some of the moons—has an atmosphere. Moons, Rings, and Magnetospheres. Understanding the Universe - Learning Adventures. Earth from Space. The NASA Earth Observations Photography database of images is a national treasure. We are publishing these selected photos and related captions on the Internet to provide a glimpse of this national treasure to the public. This database was compiled by our staff to illustrate some very interesting Earth features and processes, including cities as seen by our Astronauts from space.
Earth from Space provides several ways to search the selected images. Each image is available in three resolutions and includes cataloging data and a caption. The information contained in this collection is for informational purposes only and does not constitute official NASA positions or statements. The Sky - Discover Space and Astronomy on Sea and Sky. Kids. Homework Help K-4 Kids Do It Yourself Games Select an Inner Planet. Astronomy For Kids -Constellation Hunt. Free Educational Posters.