Alpha Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus): Our Sun’s Closest Neighbor
Alpha Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus) is the closest star system away from our sun. It’s about 4.3 light years (or 25 trillion miles) away from Earth.
Articles
Plate Tectonic Types: Divergent, Convergent and Transform Plates
Plate boundaries interact with each other in 3 primary ways. The types of plate tectonic boundares are divergent, convergent and transform (conservative).
What Is the Exosphere?
The exosphere is the upper part of Earth’s atmosphere. It starts at about 500 km and gradually extends into the vacuum of outer space at about 190,000 km.
How Does Eutrophication Work? Causes, Process and Examples
Eutrophication occurs in water bodies when too many nutrients are introduced. Over-fertilization of water causes algae to grow blocking sunlight for plants.
River Delta: How It Forms
Streams carrying too much sediment clogs the entrance into the basin. As sediments dump in, water flow decelerates and widens the entrance forming a delta.
What’s the Difference Between Lava and Magma?
Magma is liquid rock with dissolved gas at the interior of Earth. When magma reaches the surface, it’s lava. The difference for lava vs magma is location.
5 Comet Facts: Dirty Snowballs of the Solar System
Comets are balls of frozen gases mixed with pieces of rocks, water and ice. There are only a hundred or so named comets and a bit over 3500 known comets.
Earth’s Atmosphere Composition: Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon and CO2
From largest to smallest, Earth’s atmosphere composition contains nitrogen, oxygen, argon, CO2 and trace gases. Water vapor is excluded from this total.
What Are the 4 Layers of the Atmosphere? [Infographic]
There are 4 primary layers of the atmosphere on Earth: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. The ionosphere and exosphere are above those.
What Are the 8 Major Phases of the Moon?
At all times the sun illuminates half of the moon. Depending on your point of view, this is what causes the various phases of the moon.
How Far Is the Moon?
The moon is approximately 238,855 miles (384,400 km) away from the Earth. It’s such a big gap that you can almost fit all the 7 other planets in between.
What is Earth’s Geological Time Scale?
Earth’s geological time scale is almost unimaginable to us. This is because humans lifespans are so short in comparison (in hours, days, months and years).
Earth Rotation: The Day-Night Boundary
As the Earth spins, the sun always shines on one side which gives it sunlight. When you’re facing the sun, it’s daytime. But when you’re not, it’s night.
15 Facts About Mars: The Remarkable Red Planet [Infographic]
In terms of space exploration, Mars has been the greatest frontier for discovery. From its red color to marsquakes, here are 15 remarkable facts about Mars.
What Is the Mesosphere?
Highlights of the mesosphere include: (1) Air is very thin (2) It’s the coldest region of the atmosphere close to -100°C and (3) It’s where meteors burn up.