Make Way for Niku
Listen 00:08:26This week: Scientists have discovered another solar system member. Niku, a chunk of ice 124 miles in diameter, has been discovered out beyond Neptune. Its size doesn’t make it very interesting, nor does its composition, but its orbit does make it interesting. It orbits 110 degrees from the rest of the solar system’s orbital plane and it orbits backwards – opposite the direction of all the other planets. As strange as that sounds, Niku is not alone. Other Trans-Neptunian Objects show similar orbital characteristics of high-inclination and clockwise orbits.
Plus, plan now for a total solar eclipse next August !
Night sky highlights this week: At sunset – Jupiter and Venus low in the west, Saturn, Mars, Antares right on top of each other.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
Brought to you by Skytalk
Skytalk
Skytalk is hosted by WHYY's Dave Heller. Each week he discusses the latest news in astronomy with Dr. Derrick H. Pitts of the Franklin Institute.
Subscribe for free
Teams from Drexel and the University of Delaware traveled to the path of totality as part of a nationwide NASA project.
1 week ago
Listen 1:14
Can’t get enough of the total solar eclipse or got clouded out? Here are the next ones to watch for
An eclipse on the scale of Monday's event won't happen again until Aug. 12, 2045.
1 week ago
Many still manage to spot solar eclipse in Philadelphia area despite clouds
The peak of the solar eclipse is over in the Philly region. Clouds thickened as we reached maximum coverage, but brief breaks in the clouds allowed people to see the event.
2 weeks ago