Explore the complex process of designing and building a satellite using the MAVEN mission to Mars as an example. Plans for the MAVEN satellite went through a thorough review of the concept, budget, and risk analysis before proceeding to the next step of the process. Even after the design review is a
In this video from NASA, learn about the history of defining a planet, and examine how classification changes based on new knowledge. Our understanding of the solar system has evolved since the ancient Greeks, who first used the word planetes to distinguish the objects that moved against the backdro
Learn about powerful cyclones seen at Saturn's north and south poles in this video from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. From a distance, Saturn appears to be serene; however, the Cassini spacecraft has provided detailed views that show the planet's active atmosphere. A giant cyclone (with a diamet
Discover dark features in Jupiter's atmosphere called "hot spots," and their connection to large-scale atmospheric waves. David Choi describes his research on hot spots clearings in Jupiter's atmosphere that appear bright in infrared light. Analysis of data from the Cassini mission in 2000 reveal ho
Discover how scientists compare the reflected red, blue, and green light from planets in our solar system to identify Earthlike planets beyond our solar system more easily. Carolyn Crow, a member of the Deep Impact science team, describes how the amount of green, blue, and red light reflected by pla
In this video segment from NOVA: "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial," paleontologist Neil Shubin recounts a fossil discovery that added another compelling piece to the body of evidence that supports evolution. Shubin's find of a well-preserved skeleton, a "fishapod," represents a transitiona
In this video excerpt from NOVA scienceNOW, learn about an area of the brain that is involved with both language processing and the creation of stone tools. Correspondent and New York Times technology columnist David Pogue explores how tool-making (an ancient human skill that requires complex, seque
Learn how scientists used the fossils of one-celled aquatic organisms, called diatoms, to understand ancient climate conditions in eastern Africa, in this video from NOVA: Becoming Human. White layers of a rock formation consist of deep-water diatoms and darker layers consist of shallow-water diatom
Look at the northern and southern aurorae of Saturn and explains how they are produced in this video from NASA. In 2009, there was a rare opportunity to observe both of Saturn's poles simultaneously. The Hubble Space Telescope gathered data over several days, and researchers used the images they gat
Learn how a giant storm on Saturn sent temperatures soaring in this video from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. About once a Saturn year, the planet develops a massive storm called a Great White Spot. Planetary scientist Brigette Hesman describes observations of the storm that erupted on Saturn i
Launched in September 2011, find out about the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to measure the gravitational field of the Moon and study how the Moon developed over time. Animations illustrate technical aspects of the mission's design, including the launch, orbital insertion
Learn about the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission to Mars in this video from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Mars does not have a global magnetic field like Earth but does have patches of magnetic fields. Scientists use magnetometers to study the planet's magnetic anomalies.
