Moons are planets too
What makes a planet a planet? The answer turns out to be rather contentious. The official definition of a planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is that a planet must satisfy three conditions:.....»»
Newly discovered carbon monoxide-runaway gap can help identify habitable exoplanets
The search for habitable exoplanets involves looking for planets with similar conditions to the Earth, such as liquid water, a suitable temperature range and atmospheric conditions. One crucial factor is the planet's position in the habitable zone, t.....»»
Studying lake deposits in Idaho could give scientists insight into ancient traces of life on Mars
Does life exist elsewhere in the universe? If so, how do scientists search for and identify it? Finding life beyond Earth is extremely difficult, partly because other planets are so far away and partly because we are not sure what to look for......»»
New research finds that young planets are flattened structures rather than spherical
Astrophysicists from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have found that planets have flattened shapes like smarties just after they form rather than being spherical as previously thought......»»
The 5 best telescopes for viewing planets and galaxies in 2024
Of all the objects that you can view through a telescope, some of the most stunning to behold are the planets in our solar system, and the galaxies that lie far beyond it. But if you want to see more distant and fainter objects, you’ll need a d.....»»
Orbital resonance: The striking gravitational dance done by planets with aligning orbits
Planets orbit their parent stars while separated by enormous distances—in our solar system, planets are like grains of sand in a region the size of a football field. The time that planets take to orbit their suns have no specific relationship to ea.....»»
Neptune-like exoplanets can be cloudy or clear: New findings suggest the reason why
The study of "exoplanets," the sci-fi-sounding name for all planets in the cosmos beyond our own solar system, is a fairly new field. Mainly, exoplanet researchers like those in the ExoLab at the University of Kansas use data from space-borne telesco.....»»
Mars helicopter Ingenuity has ended its mission, paving the way for more flying vehicles on other planets, moons
It is difficult to emphasize the significance of the milestone surpassed by Nasa's Mars helicopter, Ingenuity......»»
The 60 best space photos of all time from Nasa, Hubble, and more
From distant galaxies to stunning portraits of planets close to home, there's nothing like an image of space to blow your mind. Here are 60 of our favorites......»»
Gravity helps show strong force strength in the proton
The power of gravity is writ large across our visible universe. It can be seen in the lock step of moons as they circle planets; in wandering comets pulled off-course by massive stars; and in the swirl of gigantic galaxies. These awesome displays sho.....»»
Simulations show that exoplanets heated at deeper depths by their host stars display markedly different weather patterns
For many years, most astrophysical models assumed that planets beyond our solar system, known as exoplanets, are heated at similar depths by their host stars (i.e., stars like the sun around which planetary systems are formed). Analyses of recent obs.....»»
Big planets don"t necessarily mean big moons
Does the size of an exomoon help determine if life could form on an exoplanet it's orbiting? This is something a February 2022 study published in Nature Communications hoped to address as a team of researchers investigated the potential for large exo.....»»
Planetesimals are buffeted by wind in their nebula, throwing debris into space: Study
Before planets form around a young star, the protosolar disk is populated with innumerable planetesimals. Over time, these planetesimals combine to form planets, and the core accretion theory explains how that happens. But before there are planets, t.....»»
Scientists investigate how heat rises through Europa"s ocean
Europa, one of Jupiter's many moons, may be capable of supporting life because its icy surface likely obscures a deep, salty ocean. Europa's ocean is also in direct contact with its mantle rocks, and interactions between rock, water, and ice could pr.....»»
Researchers reveal new findings on diamond rain on ice planets
An international team of researchers led by Dr. Mungo Frost from the SLAC research center in California has gained new insights into the formation of diamond rain on icy planets such as Neptune and Uranus, using the X-ray laser European XFEL in Schen.....»»
Space oddity: Uncovering the origin of the universe"s rare radio circles
It's not every day astronomers say, "What is that?" After all, most observed astronomical phenomena are known: stars, planets, black holes and galaxies. But in 2019 the newly completed ASKAP (Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder) telescope pi.....»»
Neptune isn’t really dark blue, new study demonstrates
Most people think of Uranus and Neptune as pale greenish blue and royal blue. But a new study shows the two planets are actually a very similar color......»»
Astrophysicists explore links between atmospheric oxygen and detecting extraterrestrial technology on distant planets
In the quest to understand the potential for life beyond Earth, researchers are widening their search to encompass not only biological markers, but also technological ones. While astrobiologists have long recognized the importance of oxygen for life.....»»
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.....»»
Sodium"s high-pressure transformation can tell us about the interiors of stars, planets
Travel deep enough below Earth's surface or inside the center of the sun, and matter changes on an atomic level......»»
NASA’s Juno spacecraft to pass within 1,000 miles of volcanic moon Io
NASA's Juno spacecraft, current in orbit around Jupiter, will soon be making a close flyby of one of the planet's most dramatic moons, Io......»»