Scope
on the Skies: Solar System UpdateFebruary 2007
Scope
on the Skies: Solar System Update
February 2007
Our knowledge of the Solar System and of orbital dynamics has changed as telescope technology improved. This month's Scope on the Skies discusses the newest developments within the Solar System and redefines the meaning of the word "planet."
Click here to read more:
http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2007-07/ss0604_72.pdf
Scope
on the Skies: And Then There Were Eight
October 2006
In summer 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) approved new definitions for objects in our Solar System that orbit the Sun. The definitions now allow for only eight planets, while objects smaller than planets will be known as dwarf planets, and those even smaller will be referred to as small Solar System bodies. Most notable of the changes was the redefinition of "planet" and the subsequent change in status of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet. The reasoning behind the new definitions and the reclassification of objects is illuminated in this month’s Scope on the Skies column.
Click here to read more:
http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2007-07/ss0701_78.pdf
Scope
on the Skies: Convening with Comets
January 2007
In February 2004, not only were the four brightest planets visible across the evening skies but also a comet rendezvous mission was nearly completed while another was just beginning. Comet missions not only provide information about comets and their origins but they also give us an important insight into the origins of our Solar System. This month's Scope on the Skies column describes NASA's Stardust spacecraft mission.
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