planet

If you're ever feeling overwhelmed, or going through something that seems too big to handle, sometimes it's good to be reminded of our place in the universe. Earth may seem huge, but in reality, it's just a tiny speck in the Milky Way. Which itself is a speck amongst millions of other galaxies. These pictures show just how small Earth really is, not only compared to the other planets, but also the rest of the universe.

Space is an interesting place, but it can be hard to wrap your head around some of those out-of-this-world concepts. So what better way to learn facts about space than with GIFs? Here are six interesting and educational GIFs made from videos by Dr James O'Donoghue, a planetary scientist based at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Enjoy learning, space cadets. Want to learn more? Check out this article about how the new Mac Pro isn't good at grating cheese. 

A group of international researchers and scientists have shed light on one of the central mysteries of solar physics: how energy and heat from the Sun is transferred to the Sun's upper atmosphere, heating it to more than 1 million degrees Farenheit - temperatures that are hotter than the Sun's surface. 

With new images taken in granular detail by the New Jersey Institute of Technology's Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO), the researchers discovered that jets of magnetized plasma (spicules) spurt like geysers from the sun's upper atmosphere into the corona (the outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere). These spicules are between 125 and 310 miles wide and erupt continuously across the Sun's surface. Images of the jets also shows how they are made and the paths they travel (at 62 miles per second).

The corona is invisible to the human eye and the source of the mechanisms has been a confounding mystery for astrophysicists - until now. The GIFs below show granular details of the new images taken by the Big Bear Solar Observatory. 

Who doesn't love a good GIF? I know I do, especially if it's jam packed with interesting things to get my mind thinking. Check out the twelve most interesting GIFs from r/damnthatsinteresting for past week and prepare to have your little brain overflow with interesting things. 

Amazing what a mere collection of water and ice and a few rocks can turn into. Saturn's rings are one of the most incredible sights in the night sky, and in space overall. Though their make up is unremarkable, since the 1970s when the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft visited the system and gave us our first close-up look. 

What's more amazing is that unlike many other celestial bodies in our universe, that we need to physically reach in order to get a clear picture of, Saturn is close enough that we can get images like those below.

Though downgraded to dwarf planet status, Pluto has been on the comeback trail of late. Many issues arose with the reclassification in 2006, including that only 424 of the 9000 members of the international organization in charge of making such decisions voted. In addition, immediately after the resolution, hundreds of planetary scientists petitioned against the changed classification. The problem began when the body changed the definition of what constitutes a planet, and due to Pluto lacking several of these features, it was demoted.

A recent mission to Pluto by NASA called New Horizons, recently gave us our closest and clearest look of Pluto and the surrounding planetary bodies in its area and orbit. 

It seems like cats are enjoying the "Our Planet" show by Netflix more than us and we can totally understand that. 

What do you mean we can't find it though!

Global warming and pollution are two of the biggest threats our home planet has ever faced. This illustrated project by WeSupply brings the cutets bear in order to show us that together we can make a difference. WeSupply is the socially & environmentally conscious marketplace that empowers you to make a difference in the fight against global warming & pollution. For every item we purchase, sell and rent, they pledge to clean up 1 pound of trash & plant 1 tree by using scalable, automated solutions. Big like from us! 

It seems like cats are enjoying the "Our Planet" show by Netflix more than us and we can totally understand that. 

A viral AskReddit thread's filled with mind-blowing, but simple facts to satisfy someone's 4-year-old daughter's daily request for 1 fact before bedtime.

 The ensuing facts are all kinds of fascinating. No way do you need to be a kid to get a kick out of these. I mean, come on; there's an island inhabited only by armies of bunnies? Dude, hell yes. Or how about Queen Bees being fed a special kind of honey that evolves them like a Pokémon when they're chosen by their hive. The world is full of madness, and it is a beautiful thing. We're always going to be ready for more mind-blowing, fun facts. 

If you haven't watched yet, Netflix's Our Planet is an eight-part series narrated by BBC host and nature documentary icon, David Attenborough. It's a beautifully shot look at the current state of the Earth and the animals that inhabit our planet. Some people on twitter watched it and came up with their thoughts on the animal parts of the show. 

We were all too busy with uploading our personal photos for the 10 year challenge, but what about the nature surrounding us? Here are some photos that show how our planet has changed in 10 years. And it's not always a pretty sight.