Lights, Camera, Astrophysics: Studying Our Solar System
For many of us, our Solar System is a topic which instills a sense of wonder, awe and fascination. From the ancient Greeks, to astronomers of the Enlightenment, studying the mysterious behavior of the planets was a source of inspiration and amusement. Today, the history of astronomy and astrophysics is still alive and well, and many scientists and engineers are dedicated to studying the many aspects of our Solar System.
In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at the solar system and exploring the ways in which astronomers, astrophysicists and engineers are taking advantage of modern technology to study and understand our place in the Universe. We’ll discuss the planets and moons, the importance of observing and understanding comets, asteroids and other forms of space debris, and some of the important missions which are helping to unlock the secrets of our own cosmic neighborhood.
Observing and Exploring the Planets
When we look up into the night's sky, it isn't hard to make out the stars, the crescent Moon, and a few of the planets. The most obvious planets, of course, are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - all of which can be seen with the naked eye, depending on their positioning in the night's sky.
In the past, these planets were observed and studied with the use of a telescope. Today, the use of the telescope is still quite common, but many of the planets have also been studied up-close using spacecraft.
The Voyager mission, for example, has sent two spacecraft - Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 - to explore the outer solar system and study the four planets beyond Earth. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have sent back spectacular images of the planets and their moons, along with data about the composition and behavior of the gas and dust that fill the area of space between the planets.
The Cassini mission, meanwhile, sent a spacecraft around Saturn to observe the planet and its moons. Cassini's journey included fly-bys of Titan, the icy moon of Saturn, and of Enceladus, a moon with remarkable geysers which shoot jets of water out into space.
In 2014, the New Horizons mission was launched, with the aim of becoming the first spacecraft to reach Pluto - the icy dwarf planet at the edge of our Solar System. In July 2015, the spacecraft flew by Pluto and sent back stunning pictures of the dwarf planet, along with data about its atmosphere, surface geology and changes in the ambient temperature.
In addition to these missions targeted at the planets, other spacecraft have been launched to study the asteroid belt, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and every other object in the Solar System.
Comets, Asteroids and Spacedebris
While spacecraft have been sent to study the planets, comets and asteroids, it's important to remember that these bodies are constantly in motion. An asteroid which passes close to Earth today may be in a completely different part of the Solar System tomorrow.
In order to make sense of the motion of these bodies, astrophysicists and engineers are taking advantage of modern technology to detect and track them. Telescopes on Earth help us to identify newly-discovered asteroids and measure the orbits of long-discovered comets, while spacecraft such as the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) monitor near-Earth objects, keeping track of their positions and trajectories.
Additionally, physicists and engineers are using this technology to detect and analyze the millions of pieces of space debris which travel around our Solar System. Astronomers are using data from space-based observatories, such as WISE, to identify pieces of debris - from tiny molecules to obsolete satellites. This data is helping to build a more complete picture of our Solar System and its tens of thousands of inhabitants.
Missions to Study Our Solar System
In recent years, a number of impressive space missions have been launched to study our Solar System in depth. The Kepler mission, for example, sought out new exoplanets beyond our own Solar System and cataloged hundreds of new planets by studying their respective star systems.
The Scanning Proxima Centauri b mission was launched in 2016 to explore the closest star system to our own. The mission is still ongoing, and is set to give astronomers a better understanding of the dynamics of our cosmic neighborhood.
Other missions are focused on studying the dynamics of our Solar System. For example, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is set to launch in 2021 and will be the most powerful telescope ever built. It will be capable of detecting planets in other star systems, studying the atmosphere of ancient planets like Mars, and helping astrophysicists to map out the dynamics of our Solar System in unprecedented detail.
Finally, the Solar Orbiter mission launched in 2020 and is set to provide data about the Sun, its atmosphere and its magnetic field. This mission is key for understanding how our Solar System works, and for gathering data about Solar Wind, solar flares and other phenomena associated with the Sun.
Studying our Solar System
Studying our Solar System, and the galaxies which lie beyond it, is an important endeavor - not just because it can help to expand our understanding of the Universe but also because the secrets it holds can help us to unlock new possibilities here on Earth. It will likely be years before we unlock all of its secrets, but thanks to modern technology and the hard work of devoted scientists and engineers, we already have a much better understanding of our cosmic neighborhood.
For now, then, there's still plenty left to explore in our Solar System. It remains the most studied, and probably the most interesting, part of our Universe, and with these new space missions, astronomers, astrophysicists and engineers will be able to learn even more about its inner workings, and thus help to further consolidate our understanding of the cosmos.