Still searching for Planet 9
The solar system has eight planets. In 2006, astronomers reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet, the same class that contains Eris, Sedna, Quaoar, Ceres and perhaps many more solar system small bodies. These are defined approximately as bodies that orb.....»»
TikTok pushed far-right AfD party on young voters in Germany
Alternative for Germany-related content returned when searching for other parties. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg) TikTok helped promote Germany’s far-right extremist political party to young voters ahead o.....»»
Astronomers spot a "highly eccentric" planet on its way to becoming a hot Jupiter
Hot Jupiters are some of the most extreme planets in the galaxy. These scorching worlds are as massive as Jupiter, and they swing wildly close to their star, whirling around in a few days compared to our own gas giant's leisurely 4,000-day orbit arou.....»»
Exoplanet caught in "hairpin turn" signals how high-mass gas giants form
Astronomers have discovered a planet that has the most oblong orbit ever found among transiting planets. The exoplanet's extreme circuit—which looks closer to a cucumber than a circle—follows one of the most drastically stretched-out orbits of al.....»»
Seismic data shows Mars is often pummeled by planet-shaking meteorites
Seismic information now allows us to make a planet-wide estimate of impact rates. Enlarge / One of the craters identified seismically, then confirmed through orbital images. (credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona).....»»
Earth system scientists discover missing piece in climate models
As the planet continues to warm due to human-driven climate change, accurate computer climate models will be key in helping illuminate exactly how the climate will continue to be altered in the years ahead......»»
Meteorites from Mars help scientists understand the red planet"s interior
Of the more than 74,000 known meteorites—rocks that fall to Earth from asteroids or planets colliding together—only 385 or so stones came from the planet Mars......»»
Webb investigates eternal sunrises, sunsets on distant world
Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have finally confirmed what models have previously predicted: An exoplanet has differences between its eternal morning and eternal evening atmosphere. WASP-39 b, a giant planet with a diameter 1.3 time.....»»
Loss of oxygen in bodies of water identified as new tipping point
Oxygen concentrations in our planet's waters are decreasing rapidly and dramatically—from ponds to the ocean. The progressive loss of oxygen threatens not only ecosystems, but also the livelihoods of large sectors of society and the entire planet,.....»»
Gnatalie is the only green-boned dinosaur found on the planet. She will be on display in LA
The latest dinosaur being mounted at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles is not only a member of a new species—it's also the only one found on the planet whose bones are green, according to museum officials......»»
Nearby exoplanet could be first known ocean world: Webb telescope
A planet relatively close to Earth could be the first ever detected with a potentially life-sustaining liquid ocean outside our Solar System, according to scientists using the James Webb space telescope......»»
Complex impact of large wildfires on ozone layer dynamics unveiled
In a revelation that highlights the fragile balance of our planet's atmosphere, scientists from China, Germany, and the U.S. have uncovered an unexpected link between massive wildfire events and the chemistry of the ozone layer. Published in Science.....»»
Belle II experiment reports the first direct measurement of tau-to-light-lepton ratio
The Belle II experiment is a large research effort aimed at precisely measuring weak-interaction parameters, studying exotic hadrons (i.e., a class of subatomic particles) and searching for new physical phenomena. This effort primarily relies on the.....»»
Scientific definition of a planet says it must orbit our sun: A new proposal would change that
Planetary scientists are proposing a new definition of a planet to replace one that many researchers view as sun-centric and outdated. The current definition—established in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the organization that o.....»»
Unusual rainfall brings winter flowers to Chile"s Atacama desert
Large swaths of the Atacama desert, the driest on the planet, have been covered with purple and white flowers after unusual rainfall patterns in northern Chile......»»
Hubble finds mysterious and elusive black hole
For years, astronomers have been searching for elusive intermediate-mass black holes. Now, Hubble has found evidence of one in Omega Centauri......»»
Mars likely had cold and icy past, new study finds
The question of whether Mars ever supported life has captivated the imagination of scientists and the public for decades. Central to the discovery is gaining insight into the past climate of Earth's neighbor: Was the planet warm and wet, with seas an.....»»
Fires and climate are changing. The science must change as well, says paper
A new paper on the many ways wildfires affect people and the planet makes clear that as fires become more intense and frequent, the urgency for effective and proactive fire science grows. By addressing these challenges, the fire research community ai.....»»
Living in a "mass extinction"
What does it mean to be living through Earth's 6th mass extinction event? How does it feel to be living through one of the most calamitous events in this planet's history? And what are we supposed to do?.....»»
Warming Baltic Sea: a red flag for global oceans
Climate change combined with pollution from farming and forestry could flip northern Europe's Baltic Sea from being a sponge for CO2 to a source of the planet-warming gas, scientists studying told AFP......»»
How a global collaboration is helping protect biodiversity
Ask a 10-year-old to name some extinct animals and they can usually rattle off ancient species such as the Tasmanian Tiger, Woolly Mammoth and Dodo. Some may even be able to tell you what the animals used to look like without searching online......»»