Planets usually move across our night sky from west to east relative to the background stars. This steady motion is a result of their orbits around the Sun. But every so often, a planet like Mars appears to hit the brakes, reverse direction, and move backward - a puzzling motion known as retrograde. This animation breaks down the mystery behind retrograde motion, focusing specifically on Mars. You'll see how the motion of Earth and Mars in their respective orbits creates the illusion of Mars loo

We created this animation to visualize the captivating retrograde motion of Saturn — a cosmic illusion that has puzzled skywatchers for millennia. In 2025, Saturn begins its retrograde on July 13 and continues this apparent backward journey through the stars until November 15. But what exactly is retrograde motion? It’s not that Saturn actually reverses its orbit — instead, it’s an optical illusion that occurs when Earth, on its faster inner orbit, overtakes the slower-moving Saturn. As we pass

NASA Solar System Exploration on Reels

NASA Solar System Exploration on Reels

Recreate some of this year's highlights in NASA planetary exploration using our "Eyes on the Solar System" experience. First up, try the #JunoMission's close flyby of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io in February: https://go.nasa.gov/3DxJgNc What we learned: https://go.nasa.gov/4iUF2PP - NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft celebrated 10 years of exploring the Red Planet’s atmosphere: https://go.nasa.gov/4gUcfZQ See its discoveries: https://go.nasa.gov/3XtVxbu - In October,