| The sun-centered solar system, whose sharp and | | | | system are best impressed upon young minds with |
| vivid images have been provided by various space | | | | the help of a walk-in model of the solar system. The |
| missions, has created daunting challenges for | | | | motion of planets and other celestial bodies in their |
| students, teachers, educators, and researchers in | | | | orbits is due to the force of gravitation of the sun |
| drawing up major solar system projects. | | | | on them. |
| The main missions that provided the latest | | | | The USGS Astrogeology Research Programme |
| information about the solar system are Mariner 10, | | | | features planetary imagery and research and helps |
| Viking 1 and 2, Voyager 1 and 2, Magellan, Galileo, | | | | portray Earth and Space Sciences in a fun way, |
| Hubble, Space Shuttle, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Global | | | | including information about space weather, global |
| Surveyor, Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous, Cassini, | | | | space physics, and a real-time movie of current solar |
| and Apollo. | | | | activity. |
| It is inevitable that Man, with his legendary | | | | Projects on the solar system, our neighborhood in |
| inquisitiveness and resourcefulness, will break free of | | | | our home galaxy, have been dovetailed in different |
| all earthly boundaries. As more information concerning | | | | angles of the trajectory and according to the |
| the solar system becomes available, there will be an | | | | disposition of the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, |
| increase in armchair astronauts as well as budding | | | | Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, |
| space enthusiasts. Teachers inspire young minds; | | | | comets, and asteroids. Such visual tours of the solar |
| they express relative size and distance between the | | | | system provide a scintillating view of the Milky Way, |
| planets through virtual and visual projects, classroom | | | | including the solar system. |
| projects, art projects, and models. | | | | The various possibilities for interesting space projects |
| The wide variations between distances of planets | | | | grow by leaps and bounds as more secrets are |
| from the sun and the sheer enormity of the solar | | | | unfolded by space missions. |