Today in Space
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The Rosette Nebula
The Rosette Nebula is a large spherical H II region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros region of the Milky Way Galaxy. The open cluster NGC 2244 (Caldwell 50) is closely associated with the nebulosity, the stars of the cluster having been formed from the nebula's matter.
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Upcoming Launches
Real-time tracking of the next missions to space
Starship Flight 3
2
Days Until Launch
Launch Date
March 14, 2024
Launch Time
12:00 PM UTC
Location
Starbase, Texas
Country
USA
The third integrated flight test of Starship. The prototype for the heavy-lift launch vehicle is currently being built by SpaceX.
All Upcoming Launches
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-44
SpaceX
Electron | "Owl Night Long"
Rocket Lab
Ariane 6 | Maiden Flight
Arianespace
Explore Our Solar System
Discover the planets, moons, and celestial bodies in our cosmic neighborhood
Mercury
0.39 AU
Venus
0.72 AU
Earth
1.00 AU
Mars
1.52 AU
Jupiter
5.20 AU
Saturn
9.58 AU
Uranus
19.22 AU
Neptune
30.05 AU
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. About 29% of Earth's surface is land consisting of continents and islands. The remaining 71% is covered with water, mostly by oceans, seas, gulfs, and other salt-water bodies, but also by lakes, rivers, and other fresh water, which together constitute the hydrosphere.
Semimajor Axis
149.6M km
Mean Radius
6,371 km
Mass
5.97 × 10²⁴ kg
Density
5.51 g/cm³
Orbital Period
365.25 days
Rotation Period
24 hours
Moons
1
Gravity
9.8 m/s²
Discovery Info
Quick Facts
- Mass: 6.41712 × 10^23 kg
- Surface gravity: 9.8 m/s²
- Density: 5.5136 g/cm³
- Axial tilt: 23.4393°
Orbital Characteristics
Planet Comparison
| Planet | Distance (AU) | Diameter (km) | Mass (Earth=1) | Orbital Period | Moons | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mercury
|
0.39 | 4,879 | 0.055 | 88 days | 0 | Terrestrial |
|
Venus
|
0.72 | 12,104 | 0.815 | 225 days | 0 | Terrestrial |
|
Earth
|
1.00 | 12,742 | 1.000 | 365.2 days | 1 | Terrestrial |
|
Mars
|
1.52 | 6,779 | 0.107 | 687 days | 2 | Terrestrial |
|
Jupiter
|
5.20 | 139,820 | 317.8 | 11.9 years | 79 | Gas Giant |
|
Saturn
|
9.58 | 116,460 | 95.2 | 29.5 years | 82 | Gas Giant |
|
Uranus
|
19.22 | 50,724 | 14.5 | 84.0 years | 27 | Ice Giant |
|
Neptune
|
30.05 | 49,244 | 17.1 | 164.8 years | 14 | Ice Giant |