• Question: what is your favourite planet in the solar system

    Asked by Tosc to Xu, Leah-Nani, Kathryn, Ian, Hina, Andrew on 8 Jun 2018.
    • Photo: Hina Khan

      Hina Khan answered on 8 Jun 2018:

      Jupiter, as it has stunning aurora that was only discovered when the Cassini spacecraft took images of the polar regions. I worked on the Cassni spacecraft so it has a special meaning for me.

    • Photo: Andrew Margetts-Kelly

      Andrew Margetts-Kelly answered on 8 Jun 2018:

      They are all so different and fascinating it is difficult to pick. Some are very beautiful too.

      But I think I’d have to pick Mercury; because by looking at it’s orbit we’ve known since the days of Newton, (and even earlier, since Kepler,) in the 1600’s that there’s something funny about gravity.

      The mystery of Mercury’s funny orbit wasn’t solved until Einstein’s theory of relativity answered everything; 300 years after Kepler first mathematically described the motion of the planets.

    • Photo: Leah-Nani Alconcel

      Leah-Nani Alconcel answered on 11 Jun 2018:

      Earth. It’s the only planet in the Solar System that we know we can survive on without extensive terraforming (which is still the stuff of science fiction).

    • Photo: Kathryn Burrows

      Kathryn Burrows answered on 11 Jun 2018:

      I would have to go with the Earth as well, for the moment it is the only planet we know that supports life. And as a human I am attracted to its pretty blue-green colour.

    • Photo: Ian Jones

      Ian Jones answered on 11 Jun 2018:

      Hmmm, tricky! It’s between Mars and Pluto for me… Pluto, because it’s been the underdog (no pun intended) and demoted out of the list of planets – but I think it’s a plucky little planet that will fight back and reveal that it’s a really cool place.

      However, Mars is an awesome place. Whilst it’s really cold there and the atmosphere is mostly CO2 – and very low pressure, it’s certainly a place you could go and explore. You could build a base underground, mine water ice to make fuel and oxygen to breathe and best of all… the day on Mars lasts 24hrs 37mins – so you get an extra half hour in bed every day!

      On that basis… I’m going for Mars!

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