Johnston's Archive--Astronomy and Space (original) (raw)

Asteroids and TNOs with satellites (543 systems, 564 companions as of 1 July 2024)

Pluto and its moons (Pluto system summary information and images, following New Horizons flyby)

A TEXAN definition of a planet

1I 'Oumuamua (2017 U1): The first interstellar object within our solar system

solar system, general:

• Known populations of solar system objects (to 16 June 2023)
  • Historical known populations of solar system objects
• Physical data for solar system planets and satellites (updated 4 April 2024)
• Orbital and dynamical data for solar system planets and satellites (updated 4 April 2024)
• Names of solar system objects and features
• Some named solar system objects
• Data on solar system objects:
  • Orbital data
  • Physical data and discovery dates
  • Data for the planets and largest other objects
• Gallery of solar system objects
• List of IAU preliminary designations of natural satellites
• Properties of the planetary satellites of the solar system (298 satellites as of 8 July 2023)
• A walk through the solar system (with Carol Lutsinger)--guide for elementary students

various topics:

• Largest impact features in the solar system
• Observed impact events (over 0.1 kilotons)
• Doublet craters
• Geysers on other planets and satellites
• Global warming on other planets?
• Sunspots of October-November 2003
• Map of the Moon

Mars:

• Map of Mars landing sites
• Quick guide to the Mars opposition of October/November 2005
  • Quick guide to the Mars opposition of August 2003 (.pdf version)
• **Phobos**--information.

Europa:

• **Europa**--information and links.
• Named features on Europa
• Icosahedron map of Europa

asteroids:

• Investigation of evolution of orbits similar to that of (4179) Toutatis
  • Information on Toutatis and asteroids near the 3:1 resonance with Jupiter
• Largest asteroids and outer solar system objects
• Asteroid albedos: graphs of data
• Asteroids: sizes, colors, and albedos by semimajor axis and eccentricity
• Asteroid diameters and albedos from Spitzer Space Telescope observations (4,205 asteroids as of 29 September 2021)
• Radar-detected asteroids with radar-measured parameters (1,218 asteroids and 72 companions as of 18 February 2024)
• Predicted 2008 TC3 impact, 7 October 2008
• Contact binary asteroids, TNOs, and comets (90 known or suspected contact binary asteroids and 1 asteroid satellite as of 27 May 2024)
• Asteroid pairs

Pluto:

• (134340) Pluto, Charon, Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, and Styx
• The atmospheres of Pluto and other trans-Neptunian objects
• Frequently asked questions about Pluto and the definition of a planet
• Planet crisis: what is a planet, a dwarf planet, and the status of Pluto?
• The case for planet Pluto

other trans-Neptunian planets:

• (136108) Haumea, Hi'iaka, and Namaka
• (136199) Eris and Dysnomia
• (136472) Makemake and S/2015 (136472) 1
• (225088) Gonggong and Xiangliu
• A TEXAN definition of a planet

trans-Neptunian objects:

• Trans-Neptunian objects
  • Outer solar system objects: e vs. a and resonances
  • TNO/centaur diameters and albedos (209 TNOs/Centaurs as of 18 July 2023)
  • Orbits of some large TNOs
• List of trans-Neptunian objects (4,834 TNOs/Centaurs, 580 other asteroids as of 27 February 2024)
• Largest asteroids and outer solar system objects
• The atmospheres of Pluto and other trans-Neptunian objects
• Comparison of the largest TNOs
• Trans-Neptunian objects: sizes, colors, and albedos by semimajor axis and eccentricity
• Asteroid diameters and albedos from Spitzer Space Telescope observations (103 Centaurs and TNOs as of 1 March 2021)
• A tenth planet
• Trans-Neptunian objects and centaurs with rings (4 known or suspected as of 11 February 2024)
• Contact binary asteroids, TNOs, and comets (24 known or suspected contact binary TNOs as of 27 May 2024)

comets:

• Comets: graphs of orbital data
• Contact binary asteroids, TNOs, and comets (7 known or suspected contacy binary comets as of 27 May 2024)

interstellar objects within the solar system:

• 1I 'Oumuamua (2017 U1): The first interstellar object within our solar system
• 2I Borisov (2019 Q4): The second interstellar object within our solar system
• Unconfirmed interstellar objects within the solar system

solar system exploration:

• List of deep space probes (summary)
• List of deep space probes (listing)
• Space probe flybys: closest approach data
• List of space physics satellites
• Space physics links--satellites and programs
• List of space physics probes beyond Earth orbit

stellar and extrasolar planet information:

• List of nearby stars (to 26 light years) (183 systems, 191 stars, 55 brown dwarfs and 109 planets as of 4 August 2022)
• Illustrations for nearby stars and planets: to 25.1 light years
• List of extrasolar planets (1,635 confirmed, 3,303 unconfirmed as of 9 March 2014)
• List of brown dwarfs (2,850 confirmed, 930 unconfirmed as of 27 December 2015)

relativistic objects:

• **Black holes**--part of a discussion of general relativity.
• List of black hole candidates (137 as of 30 January 2004)
• Binary pulsar PSR 1913+16
• List of known pulsars in binary systems (114 as of 22 March 2005)
• Gamma ray bursts

other material:

• Reading the Pioneer/Voyager pulsar map
• List of gravitational wave detectors
• Text of President George W. Bush's address on the space shuttle Columbia tragedy
• Text of President George W. Bush's address on a new vision for space exploration
• **Space art**--visualizations.

A brief commentary on sky watching--a synopsis of things to look for in the night sky and links for more information. Some specific information for observers in parts of Texas is included.

Observing man-made Earth satellites--a discussion of how to look for visible satellites in the night sky.

Heaven's Above predictions for viewing satellites from Brownsville, TX (external link)

Links for sky watchers

• Astronomy--Learn What's Up--includes sky charts.
• Astronomy Today.
• Heavens Above--provides predictions for viewing man-made satellites from any location you specify.
• NASA Sky Watch.
• Sky Screen Saver--shareware that displays a current sky chart (stars and planets).
• EarthSky Tonight.
• StarDate Online--web site for the University of Texas' Astronomy Department skywatching updates.
• Visual Satellite Observer's Home Page--provides predictions for viewing man-made satellites.

Astronomy information links

• general:
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day--daily astronomy picture with explanation.
  • Hubble Space Telescope Newscenter--public releases.
  • International Astronomical Union.
  • Students for the Exploration and Development of Space.
• solar system, general and planetary:
  • Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature--IAU working group.
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratories--home page for NASA's JPL.
  • NSSDC--National Space Science Data Center.
  • Solar System Dynamics--JPL site.
  • Solar System Simulator--JPL site providing simulated views of solar system planets or moons.
  • Space Weather--information on solar activity and meteor showers.
  • Views of the Solar System--images and other solar system information.
• solar system, exploration missions:
  • Messenger--NASA mission, Mercury orbiter.
  • Soviet Exploration of Venus--history of Soviet unmanned Venus probes.
  • Visible Earth--current NASA space-based observations of the Earth.
  • Gateway to Astronaut Photography of the Earth--archive of four decades of astronaut photography of the Earth from space.
  • Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter--NASA mission, Moon orbiter.
  • GRAIL--twin NASA Moon orbiters.
  • Mars Curiosity Rover--NASA rover mission.
  • Mars Exploration Rovers--NASA's Opportunity and Spirit rovers.
  • Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter--NASA mission, Mars orbiter.
  • Mars Odyssey--current NASA mission, Mars orbiter.
  • Mars Express--joint ESA-NASA Mars orbiter.
  • Dawn--NASA mission to Vesta and Ceres.
  • NEAR Shoemaker--NASA mission now concluded, orbiter of asteroid 433 Eros.
  • Juno--NASA mission en route to Jupiter.
  • Cassini-Huygens--current NASA mission en route to Saturn and its moon Titan.
  • News Horizons--NASA mission en route to Pluto.
• solar system, asteroids:
  • The Tracking News--list of news items and links.
  • Cambridge Conference Network--scholarly network on hazards of near-Earth objects and other topics.
  • Distant EKOs--newsletter on trans-Neptunian objects.
  • From the desk of Ted Bowell--asteroid research and resources.
  • NeoDys--database on near-Earth asteroids.
• solar system, comets:
  • The Tracking News--list of news items and links.
  • Cambridge Conference Network--scholarly network on hazards of near-Earth objects and other topics.
  • The COCD Homepage--Catalogue of Comet Discoveries.
  • The ICQ Comet Information Website--by the International Comet Quarterly.
  • Seiichi Yoshida's Home Page--extensive comet information.
  • SOHO Sungrazer Home Page--observing sungrazing comets from the NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.
• extrasolar planets:
  • The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia--information on planets discovered outside our solar system.
  • Exoplanet Data Explorer.
• brown dwarfs:
  • Dwarf Archives.
  • T dwarfs.
  • Ultracool Dwarf Catalog.
• nearby stars:
  • Internet Stellar Database--information on stars within 75 light years.
  • The One Hundred Nearest Star Systems.
• stellar and other:
  • SIMBAD Astronomical Database.
  • What Color are the Stars?

Other space links

• Encyclopedia Astronautica--Mark Wade's extensive web site on manned and unmanned space programs.
• Jonathan's Space Home Page--information on space exploration/activities.
• NASA History--space exploration resources.
• Spacecraft Encyclopaedia--database of satellite information.

Banner image: Io and Jupiter, taken by Cassini in 2000 (credit: NASA/JPL/Univ. of Arizona).

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Last modified 1 July 2024.
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