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Solar System quick facts
Tour the Solar System with our essential facts and figures.
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William Edward Parry first North-West Passage expedition 1819–20
William Edward Parry was a key figure in the discovery of the North-West Passage. On his first voyage he discovered a route through Lancaster Sound.
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William Edward Parry final North-West Passage expeditions 1821–25
William Edward Parry was a key figure in the discovery of the North-West Passage. He made three voyages to find it and his research was invaluable.
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William Moor North-West Passage expedition 1741–42
In 1741, Anglo-Irish MP Albert Dobbs commissioned William Moor to search for the North-West Passage, in a bid to strengthen Britain's trade routes.
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Sunspots
Sunspots are cooler parts of the Sun's surface caused by massive changes in the Sun's magnetic field
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How hot is it on our nearest planets?
Temperature swings of over 500°C in a single day? Beyond Earth, the weather forecast is mostly terrifying.
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Tides and tidal forces
What can explain high tide at London Bridge as well as Nova explosions from white dwarfs?
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Planet Uranus
The planet Uranus: first of the planets to be found in the modern era and dressed in rings. It orbits the sun on its side and the wrong way round!
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Planet Venus
The planet Venus: known for love, rotational contrariness, crushing atmospheres, furnace-like temperatures and acid rain.