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Celestial Bodies in the Night Sky

A celestial body is any naturally-occurring object that is located beyond the Earth's atmosphere. Celestial bodies in our Solar System include the Moon, the Sun, the other planets and their moons, asteroids, comets, and any other chunks of ice or rocky rubble found within the limits of the Sun's gravitational field such as in the Oort Cloud or Kuiper Belt. Celestial bodies beyond the Solar System include all the different types of stars, exoplanets which are planets around other stars, star clusters, galaxies, galaxy clusters, quasars, nebulae such as from supernova remnants, and black holes.

Learn about all the different kinds of celestial bodies here: what they are, what they're doing, who discovered them, how they've affected the course of human history, how mariners use them to navigate, and how astronomers use them to understand the nature of our Universe.

Latest Articles on Celestial Bodies
What Does An Astronomer Do?

The most basic answer to the question ‘what does an astronomer do?’ is study the universe in conjunction to the planet Earth. In reality, they do so much more....
Most Popular Articles on Celestial Bodies
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    		 What Does An Astronomer Do?

    The most basic answer to the question ‘what does an astronomer do?’ is study the universe in conjunction to the planet Earth. In reality, they do so much more....
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    		 Learning About Our Solar System

    The celestial bodies in our Solar System are divided into different sections: the inner planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars separated by the asteroid belt from the outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn...
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    		 The Partial Lunar Eclipse of 2010, June 26

    The occurrence of an eclipse is awaited by millions of curious people around the globe whether it is a lunar eclipse or a solar eclipse. The lunar eclipse offers all of the viewing pleasures of an eclipse...
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    		 High Celestial Drama: What Happens During a Solar Eclipse

    The Earth, Sun and the Moon are the most familiar celestial objects which have been in existence for billions of years. What happens during a solar eclipse? Learn more about this natural phenomenon...
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    		 Solar System Science Project to Make with the Kids

    The time may come when you need a great science project idea either for school or just for fun at home. One of the easiest and most fun projects to undertake is to make a Solar System at home with your...
More About Celestial Bodies
Learning About Our Solar System

The celestial bodies in our Solar System are divided into different sections: the inner planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars separated by the asteroid belt from the outer planets...

 Why Pluto Is No Longer A Planet

Pluto, the ninth planet from our Sun, has been demoted to a 'Dwarf Planet' and more recently reclassified as a "Plutoid". There are several reasons why the IAU has removed...