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:.....»»
James Webb Space Telescope uncovers chemical secrets of distant world—paving the way for studying Earth-like planets
Since the first planet orbiting a star other than the sun was discovered in 1995, we have realized that planets and planetary systems are more diverse than we ever imagined. Such distant worlds—exoplanets—give us the opportunity to study how plan.....»»
How to test whether we"re living in a computer simulation
Physicists have long struggled to explain why the universe started out with conditions suitable for life to evolve. Why do the physical laws and constants take the very specific values that allow stars, planets and ultimately life to develop? The exp.....»»
Observatory achieves "first light" with new planet finder
A new planet-hunting instrument at W. M. Keck Observatory has achieved "first light," capturing its first data from the sky and marking an exciting chapter in the search for Earth-sized planets around other stars, which are extraordinarily difficult.....»»
Atmosphere of excitement as Europe"s JWST astronomers study climate on other planets
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched on Christmas Day 2021, is already transforming our understanding of planets in our solar system and far beyond. A versatile satellite observatory, JWST has a clear-eyed view from its orbital position, 1.....»»
Astronomers find remnants of planets around 10 billion-year-old stars
Astronomers discovered something special orbiting two ancient white dwarfs: the remains of planets, making this one of the oldest known rocky planetary systems......»»
Astronomers find remnants of planets around 10 billion year old stars
Astronomers discovered something special orbiting two ancient white dwarfs: the remains of planets, making this one of the oldest known rocky planetary systems......»»
Mars: Could life itself have made the planet uninhabitable?
Four billion years ago, the solar system was still young. Almost fully formed, its planets were starting to experience asteroid strikes a little less frequently. Our own planet could have become habitable as long as 3.9 billion years ago, but its pri.....»»
How planets can be an anti-aging formula for stars
Planets can force their host stars to act younger than their age, according to a new study of multiple systems using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This may be the best evidence to date that some planets apparently slow down the aging process for.....»»
A close encounter with a mysterious moon
In 1877, American astronomer Asaph Hall discovered two small moons circling the planet Mars, later named Phobos and Deimos after the Greek for "fear" and "panic.".....»»
Radioactive traces in tree rings reveal Earth"s history of unexplained "radiation storms"
In searching for planets and studying their stars, I've had the privilege to use some of the world's great telescopes. However, our team has recently turned to an even larger system to study the cosmos: Earth's forests......»»
Zombie worlds: Five spooky planets orbiting dead stars
All stars, including the sun, have a finite lifetime. Stars shine by the process of nuclear fusion in which lighter atoms, such as hydrogen, fuse together to create heavier ones. This process releases vast quantities of energy which counteracts the e.....»»
NASA"s plan for a floating city above Venus
Imagine a blimp city floating 30 miles above the scorching surface of Venus: a home for astronauts in one of the solar system's most inhospitable planets......»»
Zipping up data to zap it back from an icy moon
In the search for life beyond Earth, icy ocean moons like Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's Enceladus are promising possibilities that host potentially habitable environments. Evidence of these environments—and of possible geobiological activity—may.....»»
Looking to move to a galaxy far, far away? An innovative system evaluates habitability of distant planets
The climate crisis presents a huge challenge to all people on Earth. It has led many scientists to look for exo-planets, planets outside our solar system that humans could potentially settle. The James Webb Space Telescope was developed as part of th.....»»
What is a potentially hazardous asteroid?
The night sky might look empty and black, but when you really look out into space, you’ll find that the universe is full of not just stars and planets, but also dust, comets, and asteroids. Many of these celestial objects are being actively studied.....»»
Sharpest Earth-based images of Europa and Ganymede reveal their icy landscapes
The cocktail of chemicals that make up the frozen surfaces on two of Jupiter's largest moons are revealed in the most detailed images ever taken of them by a telescope on Earth......»»
How we could search for life on Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus
When it comes to searching for places beyond Earth where life could thrive in our solar system, some of the most intriguing targets aren't planets but moons......»»
Team develops new tools to help search for life in deep space
Are we alone in the universe? An answer to that age-old question has seemed tantalizingly within reach since the discovery of ice-encrusted moons in our solar system with potentially habitable subsurface oceans. But looking for evidence of life in a.....»»
Laughing gas found in space could mean life
Scientists at UC Riverside are suggesting something is missing from the typical roster of chemicals that astrobiologists use to search for life on planets around other stars—laughing gas......»»
New theory predicts Earth-like, watery planets exist around red dwarfs
Recent exoplanet exploration has focused on the discovery of temperate rocky planets like the Earth, which are often called habitable planets. Most of the recent missions are targeting stars cooler than the sun. Such stars are known as red dwarfs or.....»»