Beyond the Frost Line: The Giant Planets of Our Solar System
This week we leave the rocky inner planets behind and journey into the deep cold of the outer solar system. From the storm-wracked atmosphere of Jupiter to the ringed elegance of Saturn and the mysterious ice giants Uranus and Neptune, these distant worlds reveal how strange and varied our planetary neighborhood truly is.
Along the way we explore how the solar system formed, why the inner planets are rocky while the outer planets became giants of gas and ice, and why the distant ice giants remain some of the least explored worlds we know.
Later in the episode we share a personal observing report after attempting to spot a SpaceX rocket launch from hundreds of miles away, offer up tips on how you might see one yourself, and we'll walk through what’s visible in the night sky for the week of March 8–14.
We’ll also continue our NightWatch book club with Chapters 6 and 7, exploring the realities of visual astronomy and how patient observation reveals the subtle beauty of the deep sky.
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