Stargaze West Maui
Our Solar System
Throughout the course of both Earth's and the other planet's orbits around the sun, we can often times see some of the planets in the night sky. Below are more details about our planetary neighbors that, if visible, we will explore on our stargazing tours.
The Moon
Earth's loyal companion completes its orbit every 27.3 days. On nights when it's visible, we'll explore it up close through the telescope and delve deeper into its fascinating details.
Notable Details:
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The lunar surface has so far only ever been visited by 12 astronauts between 1969 and 1972 during the Apollo missions.
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The same side of the moon is always facing Earth.
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Some of the craters we see have been there for billions of years.
Mercury
The closest planet to the sun and the smallest in our solar system. It can occasionally be viewed after sunset or before sunrise just above the horizon.
Notable Details:
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It has the largest temperature swings of any of our solar system's planets ranging from 430°C on the day side and -180°C on the night side.
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Mercury experiences a 3:2 spin-orbit resonance meaning it spins 3 times on its axis for every 2 orbits around the sun.
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Only two spacecraft have visited: Mariner 10 (1974–75) and MESSENGER (2004–2015). A third mission, BepiColombo, is en route now and will arrive in 2025.
Venus
Colloquially known as Earth's sister, Venus is the closest planet to ours both in distance and size. On night's when it's visible, we can see it shining bright over the western sky.
Notable Details:
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The Venusian day is longer than it's year at 243 and 225 Earth days respectively.
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It is the hottest planet in the solar system averaging 465°C.
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Venus has had only 4 spacecraft successfully land on the surface and send photos back to earth.
Mars
The red planet is the prime candidate for not-so-distant future human exploration. On night's that it's visible, you can see its red glow and make out some of its surface features through the telescope.
Notable Details:
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The Venusian day is longer than it's year at 243 and 225 Earth days respectively.
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It is the hottest planet in the solar system averaging 465°C.
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Venus has had only 4 spacecraft successfully land on the surface and send photos back to earth.
Jupiter
The largest planet in our solar system by far, you could fit the 1300 Earths within Jupiter. Another bright object in the night sky, when visible, we can see some of its moons and atmospheric bands through the telescope.
Notable Details:
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Jupiter has a confirmed 95 moons ranging from a tiny 2km in diameter to moons larger than the planet Mercury.
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It is the fastest spinning planet in the solar system giving it only a 10 hour day.
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Like all the other gas giants in the solar system, Jupiter also has a ring system albeit quite faint to the naked eye.
Saturn
The jewel of the solar system, when visible, Saturn's iconic rings make it one of the most incredible objects to see through the telescope.
Notable Details:
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Saturn's rings are primarily made of water ice which gives it its high albedo.
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Saturn's moon Enceladus has geysers that shoot water into space.
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In deep parts of the planet, the temperature and pressure are so extreme that it creates diamond rain.
Uranus
The coldest planet with a curious tilt, Uranus showcases the diversity of planetary systems and the surprises that lie at the solar system’s edge.
Notable Details:
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Uranus is tipped over on its side—it has an axial tilt of about 98 degrees. That means it basically rolls around the Sun like a ball instead of spinning like a top.
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Voyager 2 is our only spacecraft to have ever visited the planet in 1986, giving us our first and only closeup images.
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It's the coldest planet in our solar system with an average temperature of -224°C.
Neptune
Cold, remote, and wrapped in the fastest winds in the solar system—Neptune's distance from Earth keeps much of the planet still a mystery to us.
Notable Details:
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Neptune was the only planet in the solar system to have been initially discovered via mathematics rather than direct observation in 1846.
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It has the fastest winds in the solar system, reaching speeds of up to 2,400 km/h.
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Similar to Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, Neptune has a Great Dark Spot, a massive storm system that was first discovered by Voyager 2 in 1989.