Space: planets, Moon and Sun
Planets, moons and smaller bodies share our solar system. Below are twelve topics, each with two short facts and the NASA page they come from.
The card game to explore these worlds is coming online soon. Until then, you can read every card here with its source.
Mercury
A year here lasts 88 Earth days.
Mercury is closest to the Sun, but Venus is hotter.
Venus
Venus is our solar system’s hottest planet.
Its dense atmosphere traps heat.
Earth
Oceans cover about 71% of Earth’s surface.
Most volcanic activity on Earth takes place beneath the oceans.
Mars
Rusty iron minerals give Mars its reddish look.
The red colour is a chemical clue, not a sign of heat.
Jupiter
Jupiter turns once in roughly ten hours.
Its rapid rotation helps shape bands of clouds.
Saturn
Saturn’s rings contain countless pieces of ice and rock.
The rings are many separate particles, not solid hoops.
Uranus
Uranus rotates almost on its side.
This extreme tilt creates unusual seasons.
Neptune
Neptune has extraordinarily powerful winds.
Winds can reach about 2,000 kilometres per hour.
Moon
The Moon keeps roughly the same face toward Earth.
Its far side also receives sunlight.
Asteroids
Most known asteroids orbit between Mars and Jupiter.
Some asteroids share a planet’s orbit: the Trojans.
Comets
A comet can develop both a dust tail and an ion tail.
Sunlight and solar wind push material away from the Sun.
Sun
Nuclear fusion powers the Sun’s core.
The core reaches about 15 million degrees Celsius.