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:.....»»
A carbon-lite atmosphere could be a sign of water and life on other terrestrial planets, study finds
Scientists at MIT, the University of Birmingham, and elsewhere say that astronomers' best chance of finding liquid water, and even life on other planets, is to look for the absence, rather than the presence, of a chemical feature in their atmospheres.....»»
The atmosphere of an exoplanet reveals secrets about its surface
As astronomers have begun to gather data on the atmospheres of planets, we're learning about their compositions and evolution. Thick atmospheres are the easiest to study, but these same thick atmospheres can hide the surface of a planet from view. A.....»»
Mapping magma chambers under the Hunga volcano before and after the 2022 eruption
A small team of geologists, volcanologists and Earth scientists from the Carnegie Institution for Science, Earth and Planets Laboratory, in the U.S., the GNS Science, Wairakei Research Center, in New Zealand, Auckland University of Technology, in New.....»»
Researchers use VLT exoplanet hunter to study Jupiter"s winds
For the first time, an instrument to find planets light years away was used on an object in the solar system, in a study on Jupiter's winds......»»
Astrophysicists publish Kepler Giant Planet Search, an aid to "figure out where to find life"
A team of astrophysicists led by Lauren Weiss, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Notre Dame, created the first-ever catalog of small, Earth-like planets with Jupiter-like siblings (planets that share.....»»
Webb rings in holidays with ringed planet Uranus
The James Webb Space Telescope recently trained its sights on unusual and enigmatic Uranus, an ice giant that spins on its side. Webb captured this dynamic world with rings, moons, storms, and other atmospheric features—including a seasonal polar c.....»»
Webb identifies tiniest free-floating brown dwarf
Brown dwarfs are sometimes called failed stars, since they form like stars through gravitational collapse, but never gain enough mass to ignite nuclear fusion. The smallest brown dwarfs can overlap in mass with giant planets. In a quest to find the s.....»»
A 14-inch spacecraft delivers new details about "hot Jupiters"
A spacecraft the size of a cereal box has collected precise measurements of the atmospheres of large and puffy planets called "hot Jupiters." The findings, led by a team from the University of Colorado Boulder, could help reveal how the atmospheres a.....»»
The longstanding mystery of Mars" moons—and the mission that could solve it
The two small moons of Mars, Phobos (about 22km in diameter) and Deimos (about 13km in diameter), have been puzzling scientists for decades, with their origin remaining a matter of debate. Some have proposed that they may be made up of residual debri.....»»
Astronomers calculate which exoplanets are most likely to have water
Astronomers know of about 60 rocky exoplanets orbiting in the habitable zones of their stars. When they try to determine how habitable these planets might be, detecting water in their atmospheres plays a huge role. But what if there was another way o.....»»
Large exomoons unlikely around Kepler-1625 b and Kepler-1708 b, astronomers say
Only two of the more than 5,300 known exoplanets have so far provided evidence of moons in orbit around them. In observations of the planets Kepler-1625b and Kepler-1708b from the Kepler and Hubble space telescopes, researchers discovered traces of s.....»»
Watch how these 6 planets orbit their star in perfect sync
Astronomers have discovered a special star system where six sub-Neptune planets orbit their host star in perfect synchrony. Astronomers have observed a solar system where six planets are in perfect sync with each other as they dance through spa.....»»
A six-planet solar system in perfect synchrony has been found in the Milky Way
Astronomers have discovered a rare in-sync solar system with six planets moving like a grand cosmic orchestra, untouched by outside forces since their birth billions of years ago......»»
James Webb finds that rocky planets could form in extreme radiation environment
The James Webb Space Telescope investigated a disk that could be forming rocky planets, even though nearby massive stars are pumping out significant radiation......»»
Astronomers spot rare star system with six planets in geometric formation
Astronomers have discovered a star system in which six planets orbit one star in an elaborate geometrical pattern due to a phenomenon called orbital resonance......»»
Neptune-sized exoplanet is too big for its host star
Stars this small shouldn't make planets this big. Enlarge (credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) You win some, you lose some. Earlier this week, observations made by the Webb Space Telescope provided new data that supports what we t.....»»
Could life exist in molecular clouds?
Our search for life beyond Earth is still in its infancy. We're focused on Mars and, to a lesser extent, ocean moons like Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's Enceladus. Should we extend our search to cover more unlikely places like molecular clouds?.....»»
Discovery of planet too big for its sun throws off solar system formation models
The discovery of a planet that is far too massive for its sun is calling into question what was previously understood about the formation of planets and their solar systems, according to Penn State researchers......»»
Scientists discover rare six-planet system that moves in strange synchrony
Scientists have discovered a rare sight in a nearby star system: Six planets orbiting their central star in a rhythmic beat. The planets move in an orbital waltz that repeats itself so precisely that it can be readily set to music......»»
Building blocks for life could have formed near new stars and planets
While life on Earth is relatively new, geologically speaking, the ingredients that combined to form it might be much older than once thought. According to research published in ACS Central Science, the simplest amino acid, carbamic acid, could have f.....»»