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NASA and JPL Release Eight Worlds Planetary Archive

NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory released the Eight Worlds Planetary Archive on August 26, 2026, a 20‑page PDF that provides orbital parameters, physical characteristics a...

By Hacker News · 2h ago · Source: Hacker News

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NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory released the Eight Worlds Planetary Archive on August 26, 2026, a 20‑page PDF that provides orbital parameters, physical characteristics and mission histories for the eight Solar System planets. The archive consolidates data from multiple spacecraft missions, including Mariner 10, MESSENGER, BepiColombo, Venera, Magellan, Sputnik, Vostok, Apollo, Mariner 4, Viking, Curiosity, Pioneer, Galileo, Juno, Pioneer 11, Cassini‑Huygens, Herschel, Voyager 2, and JWST, and is intended for researchers, educators and the public. Mercury’s data list a 0.39 AU semi‑major axis, 88‑day period and a diameter of 4,879 km, with mission milestones such as three Mariner 10 flybys, 4,100 MESSENGER orbits and the upcoming BepiColombo cruise in November 2026. Venus shows a 0.72 AU semi‑major axis, 225‑day period and a 12,104 km diameter, documented by Venera 7, Venera 9, and Magellan’s 98% radar coverage. Earth’s entry records a 1.00 AU semi‑major axis, 365.25‑day period, a 12,742 km diameter and a single moon, with historical milestones from Sputnik 1 to Apollo 17. Mars lists a 1.52 AU semi‑major axis, 687‑day period and a 6,779 km diameter, referencing Mariner 4, Viking 1 and the ongoing Curiosity rover. Jupiter’s record includes a 5.20 AU semi‑major axis, 11.86‑year period, a 139,820 km diameter and 95 moons, with observations from Pioneer 10, Galileo and Juno. Saturn’s data note a 9.54 AU semi‑major axis, 29.45‑year period and a 116,460 km diameter, highlighted by Pioneer 11, Cassini‑Huygens and the 2017 Grand Finale. Uranus presents a 19.2 AU semi‑major axis, 84‑year period and a 50,724 km diameter, with discovery by William Herschel in 1781, Voyager 2’s 1986 flyby and JWST infrared observations in 2023. Neptune’s entry records a 30.1 AU semi‑major axis, 165‑year period and a 49,244 km diameter, citing Le Verrier’s 1846 prediction, Voyager 2’s 1989 visit and JWST’s 2022 infrared imaging. The PDF will be updated as new mission data become available, and the archive is accessible through NASA’s public data portal. The foreword includes a quote from Carl Sagan: “…a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” (Sagan, 1994).

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8/27/2026, 10:00:21 AM
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8/27/2026, 10:00:21 AM
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