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:.....»»
See planets being born in new images from the Very Large Telescope
Astronomers have peered into the disks of matter from which exoplanets form, looking at more than 80 young stars to see which have planets forming around them......»»
Subaru Telescope discovers the faintest moon around icy giant planets
Using some of the largest telescopes in the world, including the Subaru Telescope, a team of astronomers discovered three new natural satellites orbiting the outermost planets in our solar system—one around Uranus and two around Neptune. One of the.....»»
More planets than stars: Kepler"s legacy
The Kepler mission enabled the discovery of thousands of exoplanets, revealing a deep truth about our place in the cosmos: There are more planets than stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The road to this fundamental change in our understanding of the univ.....»»
James Webb Space Telescope captures the end of planet formation
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is helping scientists uncover how planets form by advancing understanding of their birthplaces and the circumstellar disks surrounding young stars......»»
Astronomers reveal a new link between water and planet formation
Researchers have found water vapor in the disk around a young star exactly where planets may be forming. Water is a key ingredient for life on Earth and is also thought to play a significant role in planet formation, yet until now, astronomers have n.....»»
Dust growth model finds planets may form more easily than previously thought
The building blocks of new planets could form more easily than previously thought, according to calculations by a team led by a RIKEN astrophysicist......»»
Earth as a test object to evaluate the planned LIFE space mission
Physicists at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich wanted to know whether the planned LIFE space mission could really detect traces of life on other planets. Yes, it can, say the researchers, with the help of observations of our own planet......»»
Metal scar found on cannibal star
When a star like our sun reaches the end of its life, it can ingest the surrounding planets and asteroids that were born with it. Now, using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) in Chile, researchers have found a uniqu.....»»
Three tiny new moons spotted orbiting Uranus and Neptune
Astronomers have discovered three new tiny moons orbiting the far-off planets Neptune and Uranus of the outer solar system......»»
Webb telescope spots hints that Eris, Makemake are geologically active
Webb measured isotopes at the edge of the Solar System, hinting at chemistry. Enlarge / Artist's conceptions of what the surfaces of two dwarf planets might look like. (credit: SWRI) Active geology—and the large-scale.....»»
Newborn gas planets may be surprisingly flat, says new research
A new planet starts its life in a rotating circle of gas and dust, a cradle known as a protostellar disk. My colleagues and I have used computer simulations to show that newborn gas planets in these disks are likely to have surprisingly flattened sha.....»»
Spot the king of planets: Observe Jupiter
Jupiter is our solar system's undisputed king of the planets. Jupiter is bright and easy to spot from our vantage point on Earth, helped by its massive size and banded, reflective cloud tops. Jupiter even possesses moons the size of planets: Ganymede.....»»
Scientists find evidence of geothermal activity within icy dwarf planets
A team co-led by Southwest Research Institute found evidence for hydrothermal or metamorphic activity within the icy dwarf planets Eris and Makemake, located in the Kuiper Belt. Methane detected on their surfaces has the tell-tale signs of warm or ev.....»»
Passing stars altered orbital evolution of Earth and other planets, astronomers find
Stars that pass by our solar system have altered the long-term orbital evolution of planets, including Earth, and, by extension, modified our climate......»»
Astronomers discover Jupiter-sized objects drawn into each other"s orbit
In our most basic understanding of our solar system, planets are drawn into the orbit of our massive star, the sun. But what happens to planet-sized objects that don't have a star? A team of astronomers studying Jupiter-mass binary objects (JuMBOs) i.....»»
Hubble detects celestial "string of pearls" star clusters in galaxy collisions
When spectacular cosmic events such as galaxy collisions occur, it sets off a reaction to form new stars, and possibly new planets that otherwise would not have formed. The gravitational pull that forces the collisions between these galaxies creates.....»»
Did the Galileo mission find life on Earth?
In the fall of 1989, the Galileo spacecraft was launched into space, bound for Jupiter and its family of moons. Given the great distance to the king of planets, Galileo had to take a roundabout tour through the inner solar system, making a flyby of V.....»»
Simulations provide potential explanation for mysterious gap in size distribution of super-Earths
Ordinarily, planets in evolved planetary systems, such as the solar system, follow stable orbits around their central star. However, many indications suggest that some planets might depart from their birthplaces during their early evolution by migrat.....»»
Hubble traces "string of pearls" star clusters in galaxy collisions
Contrary to what you might think, galaxy collisions do not destroy stars. In fact, the rough-and-tumble dynamics trigger new generations of stars and presumably accompanying planets......»»
Mimas" surprise: Tiny moon holds young ocean beneath icy shell
Hidden beneath the heavily cratered surface of Mimas, one of Saturn's smallest moons lies a secret: a global ocean of liquid water. This astonishing discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the Observatoire de Paris-PSL and published in the journal Na.....»»