The Planets
All eight planets can be seen with asmall telescope; or binoculars. And large observatories continue to provide much useful information. But the possibility of getting up close with interplanetaryspacecraft has revolutionized planetary science. Very little of this site would have been possible without the space program.
Nevertheless, there's a lot thatyou can see with very modest equipment or even with just your own eyes. Past generations of people found beauty and a sense of wonder contemplating the nightsky. Today's scientific knowledge further enhances and deepens that experience. And you can share in it by simply going out in the evening and looking up.
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The IAU has changed the definition of "planet" so that Pluto no longer qualifies. There are now officially only eight planets inour solar system. Of course this change in terminology does not affect what's actually out there. In the end, it's not very important how we classify the variousobjects in our solar system. What is important is to learn about their physical nature and their histories.
Read more about solar system by nineplanets.org
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