How many planets could be in the Kuiper Belt?
A recent study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters investigates the potential existence of Mars-sized free-floating planets (FFPs)—also known as rogue planets, starless planets, and wandering planets—that could have been captured by ou.....»»
Famous Star Hasn’t Formed Planets, and We Don’t Know Why
The nearby star Vega, featured in the 1997 movie Contact, appears to have a smooth disk devoid of giant planets for reasons we can’t explain.....»»
Scientists compile library for evaluating exoplanet water
By probing chemical processes observed in the Earth's hot mantle, Cornell scientists have started developing a library of basalt-based spectral signatures that not only will help reveal the composition of planets outside of our solar system but could.....»»
Examining how stellar threats impact the habitable zone of exoplanets
When we think of exoplanets that may be able to support life, we home in on the habitable zone. A habitable zone is a region around a star where planets receive enough stellar energy to have liquid surface water. It's a somewhat crude but helpful fir.....»»
How many additional exoplanets are in known systems?
One thing we've learned in recent decades is that exoplanets are surprisingly common. So far, we've confirmed nearly 6,000 planets, and we have evidence for thousands more. Most of these planets were discovered using the transit method. though there.....»»
NASA’s monthly skywatching tips include a rare lunar occultation
November is a good month to view many of the planets in our neighborhood, and some folks will also be able to witness a rare lunar occultation......»»
Astronomers predict the orbits of potentially hazardous comets from meteor showers
Comets have long been seen as omens and portents, and it's easy to understand why. They first appear as faint smudges of light in the sky, sometimes fading soon after and sometimes becoming brighter than the planets, with a long, glowing tail. They h.....»»
Rust Belt voters aren"t all white, but reporting often ignores the concerns of people of color there, says geographer
Every four years, national media turn their attention to the Rust Belt, a term that describes Midwestern industrial and manufacturing states whose economies were decimated by the decline of those industries in the 1970s. This region contains the cove.....»»
How life began on Earth: Model suggests ancient Earth had organic-rich atmosphere
The key to unlocking the secrets of distant planets starts right here on Earth. Researchers at Tohoku University, the University of Tokyo, and Hokkaido University have developed a model that considers various atmospheric chemical reactions to estimat.....»»
How life began on Earth: Modeling the ancient atmosphere
The key to unlocking the secrets of distant planets starts right here on Earth. Researchers at Tohoku University, the University of Tokyo, and Hokkaido University have developed a model that considers various atmospheric chemical reactions to estimat.....»»
NASA telescopes discover brown dwarf protoplanetary disks in the Orion Nebula
Newborn stars are surrounded by disks of gas and dust within which planets are born, known as protoplanetary disks. In the Orion Nebula, the brightest and most massive stars emit intense ultraviolet radiation that illuminates protoplanetary disks, al.....»»
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is from the Oort Cloud—the invisible bubble that"s home to countless space objects
The human mind may find it difficult to conceptualize: a cosmic cloud so colossal it surrounds the sun and eight planets as it extends trillions of miles into deep space......»»
Two comets will be visible in the night skies this month
Halloween visitors from the distant Oort Cloud. The human mind may find it difficult to conceptualize: a cosmic cloud so colossal it surrounds the Sun and eight planets as it exte.....»»
Exoplanet discovered in a binary system could explain why red dwarfs form massive planets
In recent years, the number of known extrasolar planets (aka. exoplanets) has grown exponentially. To date, 5,799 exoplanets have been confirmed in 4,310 star systems, with thousands more candidates awaiting confirmation. What has been particularly i.....»»
IIHS finds significant improvement in seat belt safety alerts
Since testing began in 2022, brands are releasing models with enhanced alerts, though safety improvements vary across different vehicles......»»
New Kuiper Belt objects lurk farther away than we ever thought
Earth's Kuiper Belt appears to be substantially larger than we thought. In the outer reaches of the Solar System, beyond the ice giant Neptune, lies a ring of comets and dwarf pla.....»»
Ford eases driving for cancer patients
The Ford SupportBelt is designed to reduce painful seat belt pressure on women recovering from a mastectomy......»»
Iron nuggets in the Pinnacles unlock secrets of ancient and future climates
Small iron-rich formations found within Western Australia's Pinnacles, which are part of the world's largest wind-blown limestone belt spanning more than 1,000km, have provided new insights into Earth's ancient climate and changing landscape......»»
Potential indicators of life on other planets can be created in a lab
One way to understand the potential for life on far-off planets—those in other solar systems that orbit different stars—is to study a planet's atmosphere. Telescopic images often capture traces of gases that may indicate life and habitable planet.....»»
Advanced civilizations will overheat their planets within 1,000 years, researchers suggest
Earth's average global temperatures have been steadily increasing since the Industrial Revolution. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), Earth has been heating up at a rate of 0.06°C (0.11°F) per decade since 1850—or ab.....»»
Exoplanets could be hiding their atmospheres
Most of the exoplanets we've discovered orbit red dwarf stars. This isn't because red dwarfs are somehow special, simply that they are common. About 75% of the stars in the Milky Way are red dwarfs, so you would expect red dwarf planets to be the mos.....»»