The NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory was formed to observe and understand the Earth system and to develop products, through a commitment to research that will advance the National Oceanic and Atmopsheric Administration's environmental information and services on global to local scales.
On October 21, 2003, a photograph of the nocturnal sky was taken and revealed a possible 10th planet in our solar system: Eris. Unfortunately scientists came then to the conclusion that Eris and also Pluto could no longer hold the status as planets and were called dwarf planets from this point.
200 years ago today, German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle was born. Also in Germany hardly anybody might know Galle today. Well, maybe except most astronomers, who will certainly know him, because he has discovered the planet Neptune. No, he didn't do it all by himself...
Interactive 3D model of Solar System, Planets and Night Sky: "Welcome to Solar System Scope space traveller, SSS means Astronomy for Everybody. Whether you are a student, astronomy fan or an accidental browser, you are most welcome to play with our user-friendly application. It's full of space-art graphics, has easy-to-use interface with various settings and offers interesting information. SSS will illustrate you real-time celestial positions with planets and constellations moving over the night sky. But I can see you're not just a passive spectator - and that's good, because you can actively change parameters for a better understanding of happenings in our Solar System and the Universe." in www.solarsystemscope.com