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:.....»»
Study shedding new light on Earth"s global carbon cycle could help assess liveability of other planets
Research has uncovered important new insights into the evolution of oxygen, carbon, and other vital elements over the entire history of Earth—and it could help assess which other planets can develop life, ranging from plants to animals and humans......»»
Eclipses aren"t just visual spectacles, they are at the heart of scientific efforts to understand distant planets
The total solar eclipse across North America on April 8, 2024, is a stunning and memorable event for everyone in its path. However, eclipses are not just valued for their visual impact, they are at the heart of cutting-edge science......»»
The hidden role of the Milky Way in ancient Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptians were known for their religious beliefs and astronomical knowledge of the sun, moon, and planets, but up until now, it has been unclear what role the Milky Way played in Egyptian religion and culture......»»
A Popular Alien-Hunting Technique Is Increasingly in Doubt
Recent controversies bode ill for the effort to detect life on other planets by analyzing the gases in their atmospheres......»»
If life exists on Jupiter"s moon Europa, scientists might soon be able to detect it
Europa is one of the largest of more than 90 moons in orbit around the planet Jupiter. It is also one of the best places to look for alien life......»»
Why there may be oceans inside dwarf planets beyond Pluto—and what this means for the likely abundance of life
Earth was long thought to be the only planet in our solar system with an ocean, but it is beginning to look as though there are underground oceans inside even the most surprising icy bodies......»»
Where are all these rogue planets coming from?
There's a population of planets that drifts through space untethered to any stars. They're called rogue planets or free-floating planets (FFPs.) Some FFPs form as loners, never having enjoyed the company of a star. But most are ejected from solar sys.....»»
Daily Telescope: A flying telescope gets photobombed by some planets
It's a bird... It's a plane... It's a telescope. Enlarge / The SOFIA telescope. (credit: Chris Johnson) Welcome to the Daily Telescope. There is a little too much darkness in this world and not enough light, a littl.....»»
Stellar murder: When stars destroy and eat their own planets
Our sun is both our best friend and our worst enemy. On the one hand, we owe our very existence to our star. Earth and the other planets in the solar system formed out of the same cloud of gas and dust as the sun......»»
Mapping the best route for a spacecraft traveling beyond the sun"s sphere of influence
The heliosphere—made of solar wind, solar transients, and the interplanetary magnetic field—acts as our solar system's personal shield, protecting the planets from galactic cosmic rays. These extremely energetic particles accelerated outwards fro.....»»
Schools in the path of April"s total solar eclipse prepare for a natural teaching moment
Seventh-grade student Henry Cohen bounced side to side in time to the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" playing in teacher Nancy Morris' classroom, swinging his arms open and closed across the planets pictured on his T-shirt......»»
In a distant stellar system, the JWST sees the end of planet formation
Every time a star forms, it represents an explosion of possibilities. Not for the star itself; its fate is governed by its mass. The possibilities it signifies are in the planets that form around it. Will some be rocky? Will they be in the habitable.....»»
Astronomers conduct first search for forming planets with James Webb Space Telescope
Planets form in disks of dust and gas called protoplanetary disks that whirl around a central protostar during its final assembly. Although several dozens of such disks have been imaged, just two planets have been caught in the act of forming so far......»»
Signs of life detectable in single ice grain emitted from extraterrestrial moons, experimental setup shows
The ice-encrusted oceans of some of the moons orbiting Saturn and Jupiter are leading candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life. A new lab-based study led by the University of Washington in Seattle and the Freie Universität Berlin shows tha.....»»
Heat to blame for space pebble demise
The dust of comets fills the space between the planets, collectively called the zodiacal cloud. Still, severe breakdown has reduced that dust in size so much that it now scatters sunlight efficiently, causing the faint glow in the night sky known as.....»»
NASA delivers science instrument to JAXA"s Martian Moons mission
On March 14, NASA handed over its gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer instrument to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) for integration onto JAXA's MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) mission spacecraft and final system-level testing......»»
Our survey of the sky is uncovering the secrets of how planets are born
When we look out to the stars, it is typically not a yearning for the distant depths of outer space that drives us. When we are looking out there, we are truly looking back at ourselves. We try to understand our place in the unimaginable vastness of.....»»
Researchers develop a new type of frequency comb that promises to further boost the accuracy of timekeeping
Chip-based devices known as frequency combs, which measure the frequency of light waves with unparalleled precision, have revolutionized timekeeping, the detection of planets outside of our solar system and high-speed optical communication......»»
NASA Armstrong updates 1960s concept to study giant planets
NASA researchers are looking at the possibility of using a wingless, unpowered aircraft design from the 1960s to gather atmospheric data on other planets—doing the same work as small satellites but potentially better and more economically......»»
Hubble tracks Jupiter"s stormy weather
The largest and nearest of the giant outer planets, Jupiter's colorful clouds present an ever-changing kaleidoscope of shapes and colors. This is a planet where there is always stormy weather: cyclones, anticyclones, wind shear, and the largest storm.....»»