world development and scientific research

  What exactly is the ionosphere? The ionosphere is a very active part of the atmosphere that expands and contracts in response to the energy it absorbs from the Sun. The term "ionosphere" refers to how gases in these layers are excited by solar radiation. The changing, active layer   The ionosphere is an intriguing layer that overlaps the mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. It's a very active part of the atmosphere that expands and contracts in response to the energy it absorbs from the sun. The name derives from the fact that gases in these layers are excited by solar radiation to form "ions," which have an electrical charge.   Parts of the ionosphere overlap with the magnetosphere of Earth. This is the area around Earth where charged particles are affected by the magnetic field. Charged particles in the ionosphere are influenced by the magnetic fields of both the Earth and the sun. This is where auroras occur. These are the bright, beautiful ba...

The Moon goes through "phases." That means it appears to us differently each night during its one-month orbit around our planet. We use terms like "Full Moon," "First Quarter," and "New Moon" to describe how the Moon appears (which we can't see because the lit side is facing away from us). The Moon does not produce its own light. Sunlight reflected off the Moon's surface is referred to as moonlight. As the Moon orbits Earth, the Sun illuminates the side of the Moon that is facing it. It's always a full Moon to the Sun! If you were looking down on Earth and its Moon from far above the North Pole, you would see a Moon that looked something like this: However, we can see the Moon from the canter of its orbit. As a result, we see different parts of the Moon's lit side. Make Moon phases out of Oreos. Then, to make the four major phases of the Moon, open up some Oreo cookies and scrape off the creme filling. These Oreo ...

  What are the various types of full moons? A full moon occurs when the side of the Moon that faces Earth is completely illuminated by the Sun. There are several types of unusual full moons, including blood moons, supermoons, blue moons, and harvest moons, among others. When you look up at the night sky, you may notice that the Moon appears to change every night. This is because our Moon has many different phases and types. A full moon occurs when the side of the Moon that faces Earth is completely illuminated by the Sun. But did you know that not all full moons have the same appearance? The Moon may appear to glow red at times. The Moon may appear larger than usual in our night sky at times. The Moon does not change color or size. Its appearance changes are usually caused by its position in relation to the Sun and Earth. Here are some examples of those unusual full moons: The Blood Moon The red glow of a "blood moon" gives it one meaning. A total lunar eclipse oc...

  A Meteor Shower: What Is It? You won't need a telescope, binoculars, or a tall mountain to have a "star gazing" party if a meteor shower is a forecast. A warm sleeping bag and an alarm clock to wake you up in the middle of the night can be necessary. The best place to watch a show, though, is simply by lying down in your own backyard. Meteors A meteoroid is a space rock that enters the atmosphere of Earth. The air on the space rock creates drag, which causes it to heat up as it falls toward Earth. A "shooting star" is what we can see. The glowing hot air that can be seen as the hot rock flies through the atmosphere, not the rock itself, is what is causing that light streak. We refer to a meteor shower as the simultaneous collision of several meteoroids with Earth. Why would there be a lot of meteoroids hitting Earth at once? Comets orbit the sun in a similar manner to Earth and the other planets. The orbits of comets are typically very lopsided, in c...

Only one moon orbits Earth; it is a stony, cratered body that is about one-quarter the size of Earth and is located on average 238,855 miles distant. The Moon travels a 27-day orbit around our planet and is typically visible with the unaided eye. Probably one of the first images that come to mind when you think of the night sky is the Moon "glowing" in the shadows. The Moon has always had a special position in both our daily lives and our imaginations. Being interested is nothing to be shocked about. Most nights, it is possible to see the Moon, the only naturally occurring satellite of Earth. What makes the Moonglow? The Moon doesn't emit any light of its own. It only acts as a reflector of sunlight. Why does it seem like the Moon is changing shape? When viewed from Earth, the Moon may appear to change shape every night, going from a tiny sliver to a half moon to a full moon and back again. Actually, from Earth, we can see different areas of the Moon being l...

  What exactly is a terrestrial planet? Terrestrial, or rocky, planets include Earth, Mars, Mercury, and Venus in our solar system. Terrestrial planets are those outsides of our solar system that range in size from half to twice the radius of Earth, and some may be even smaller. Super-Earths are exoplanets that are twice as big as Earth and larger. Earth-sized and smaller terrestrial planets are rocky worlds made of rock, silicate, water, and/or carbon. It requires more research to discover whether some of these worlds contain atmospheres, oceans, or other indications of habitability. Super-Earths are larger terrestrial exoplanets that are at least twice as massive as Earth. Learn about some planets that are on Earth. TRAPPIST-1 e                                     TRAPPIST-1 d Terrestrial planets typica...

  Gaseous worlds similar to Neptune that are about Neptune's size                                    A Neptunian planet is what? Neptunian exoplanets resemble our solar system's Neptune or Uranus in size. (Neptune has a radius almost four times that of Earth and a mass nearly 17 times that of Earth.) The interiors of Neptunian exoplanets could vary, but they are all likely to be rocky with heavy metals in their cores. The atmospheres of Neptunian planets are often dominated by hydrogen and helium. Mini-Neptunes, planets that are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, are also being found. In our solar system, there are no planets like these. Discover some planets that resemble Neptune. HAT-P-26_b                  ...

  A gas giant is what? A massive planet primarily made of helium and/or hydrogen is referred to as a gas giant. These planets feature swirling gases atop a solid core rather than hard surfaces, similar to Jupiter and Saturn in our solar system. Exoplanets that are gas giants can be far bigger than Jupiter and orbit their stars much more closely than any planets in our solar system. Our knowledge of the formation and evolution of planets for the most of human history was based on the eight (or nine) planets in our solar system. But during the past 25 years, more than 4,000 exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system, have been found, and this has completely transformed everything. Helium and/or hydrogen make up the majority of gas giants in our solar system, such as Jupiter and Saturn. "Hot Jupiters" are gas giants that are located closer to their stars. Within these broad groups is much diversity. For example, hot Jupiters, which are gas giants like Jupiter but orbi...