Triston Lab Report

Mercury may have a moon appearance from the outside, but with the planet’s unique components, gravity, size, orbit, and position in the Solar System, the planet may beg to differ. This paper will demonstrate knowledge to the reader of the physical components of the planet Mercury, its position in the Solar System, and how NASA studies this distant planet. How can you explore or study a planet, so close to Earth, yet too close to the Sun? How many Mercury days are considered an Earth day? How does this planet differ from the others? These may all be answered in the following paragraphs. The basics of Mercury will be discussed in more detail. Those include such topics as the planet’s orbit and position in the Solar System, atmosphere, size and the geography. Finally, the methods and techniques used by NASA to study Mercury, will be outlined.

and sediments has shown something incredible. It contained clues to how Earth and the Moon formed as well as the history of the Sun. The scientists looked for what life would be like if humans could live on the moon. The Apollo 11 mission brought back the first geologic samples from the Moon back to Earth. Astronauts collected twenty-two kilograms of material which acquired samples of the lunar "soil," fifty rock samples and two core tubes which was found below the moon’s surface. All the samples was not composed with any water which provided no evidence for living organisms in the Moon's history. They figured out that there was volcanic activity since they

New Horizons is equipped with seven different instruments that are all designed to collect different forms of data, as well as communicate with scientists back on Earth. The different instruments are Alice, which is used to study atmospheric composition and structure, Ralph, which can study surface geology and morphology, Radio Science Experiment (REX), which measures atmospheric temperature and pressure, Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) used for studying geology with high resolution photographs, Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP), which measure the solar wind interactions and atmospheric escape, Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI), used to study the nature of particles that exit Pluto’s atmosphere, and finally Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (SDC), which is used to study dust particles in the outer solar system (“Payload”). All these instruments were crucial for making new discoveries in a place we knew very little

Neptune is the only planet in our solar system that cannot be studied without the aid of an optical tool such as binoculars or a small telescope (“Neptune Celebrates”, 2011). Neptune cannot be seen without the aid of an optical device because it has an apparent magnitude of +7.8 (Carina, 1990-2008) and our naked eyes can only see objects with a magnitude of +6 (Chaisson & McMillan, 2011, Fig. 17.7, p. 423). The distance of the planet from the Earth, 29.1 AU (Chaisson & McMillan, 2011 p. 316), also makes the planet very difficult to study. However, we have visited the planet, or Voyager 2 has. This spacecraft visited the planet in 1989 (NASA, 2010). As of now, no other spacecraft have visited the planet. Voyager 2 also passed very close to one of Neptune’s moons before leaving the solar system (NASA, 2010). Currently there are no plans to visit, or land on the planet. We only observe Neptune with the aid of our telescopes and binoculars. We are able to tell quite a bit about the atmosphere and other characteristics about Neptune, and the rest of this essay will discuss these factors and several others, which help to make this planet very interesting.

equipment to discover parts of the Solar System no one knew about. There are missions that

From the spectacular spectacles Triton has to offer, it can be concluded that the active moon is diverse and holds astounding capabilities compared to some of its neighbors. Currently, NASA does not have any plans to send unmanned space crafts to Triton. However, scientists’ intrigue in Triton is still high, and they are using space telescopes to continuously observe

The moon is thought to have formed and evolved similarly to the Earth through a single or series of catastrophic heating events, according to the Department of Geological Sciences at Brown University. It is believed that the lightest element, hydrogen, was lost during the period of the moon’s formation. Researches have now used advances in secondary ion mass spectrometry to better estimate primitive volcanic chemical contents on the moon’s surface. Results indicate that the post-eruptive moon did include water. This suggests that the early moon’s formation was similar to the

The nuclear-powered spacecraft's four-year foray in Saturnian orbit began in 2004, and filled our screens with the majesty of Saturn's clouds and signature rings. It also studied the moons Enceladus, a frozen body striated with fractures and crevasses, and Titan, the planet-size hazy moon whose liquid methane rivers and sea astounded scientists. Enceladus' icy surface masks what many suspect to be a subsurface ocean, bustling with microbial life much the same as we suspect of Jupiter's moon Europa.

The planetary system consisting of the Earth and Moon has been closely examined since the birth of man. The Moon is a scientifically important planet that preserves a unique history of planetary formation and early development, as well as recording the historical space environment and cosmic radiation for billions of years. Due to its proximity to the Earth, the Moon has also been a target for human exploration and long-term extraterrestrial habitation. Knowledge of the Moon’s characteristics and its resources has become especially important for planning future space travel from Earth.

Like most first glimpses of new frontiers, Pluto held so many surprises for New Horizons that the past eight months have seen a steady stream of discoveries coming from the mission, as the spacecraft’s small radio transmitter beams its gathered data back home. The biggest surprises have been Pluto’s surface and atmosphere, which are restlessly active and diverse despite average temperatures of only tens of degrees above absolute zero. Some scientists expected New Horizons would find Pluto to be little more than an inert, sunlight-starved orb. Instead, the spacecraft encountered a world where nitrogen glaciers flow down into plains of frozen methane from towering mountains of water ice. Sunless half-frozen oceans lurk deep beneath the surface, and multiple moons tumble overhead through hydrocarbon-hazed red skies that tinge to blue at sunrise and sunset.

Also, the finding of large quantities of uranium and thorium, for instance, offers a huge nuclear energy resource. Because the moon is not protected by an atmosphere, it is continuously bombarded by cosmic rays carrying both hydrogen and helium. Helium-3, one of helium’s natural variants, is what many scientists consider to be ideal for nuclear fusion. At some point in the future, when scientists achieve a higher understanding of this potentially revolutionary energy resource, the moon will be “a priceless resource, since it is by far the best source of Helium-3 anywhere in the Solar System.” (Lunar Geology 2) What is most exciting is that all of these elements are found on the surface of the moon – what lies below is still a mystery, and possibly an unbelievable opportunity for further mining and other ventures. However, just as on Earth, such an undertaking would require human interaction. A lunar colony is a must for this sort of endeavor.

On the July 4th, the first day of a spacecraft as similar as known as Juno, entered orbit of Jupiter. This planet is named after the wife of the Greek’s god, NASA took almost five years to approach to the largest planet in our solar system. We can understand the fundamentally how Jupiter formed and that is mission of Juno. Astronomers believe Jupiter was the first planet to improve around our Sun, and they provide necessary information about our solar system has changed over time. During the research, Juno will orbit Jupiter 32 times, and it will be spinning around its poles for the rest of the years. We rather understand what is inside the planet based on all information which captured by Juno.

There are many different items that make up the solar system, and they are all classified very differently. Two of the most important items in our solar system are the planets and the moons. They differ in geologic activity, composition, interior structure, magnetic fields, and atmospheres. There are multiple probe missions, both past and present, that support these concepts. There are physical factors and characteristics that are important in determining the property of the items. In this paper, I will discuss all of these topics as well as what benefits I think there are so studying other worlds as well as the benefits I see to studying the solar system and why.

• Chemical stratigraphy of the lunar crust by remote sensing of the central uplands of large lunar craters, and of the South Pole Aitken Region (SPAR), an expected site of interior material

“NASA launched the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, also known as LCROSS. The mission is to confirm the presence or absence of ice on the moon. On November 13, 2009, NASA scientists announced the discovery of a "significant amount" of ice in a crater near the moon’s South Pole.”