Three elder sisters of the Sun with planets
An international team led by Prof. Dr. habil. Andrzej Niedzielski, an astronomer from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun (Poland), has discovered yet another three extrasolar planets. These planets revolve around the stars that can be called.....»»
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......»»
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.....»»
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.....»»
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.....»»
India"s "drone sisters" steer farming and social change
Once a housewife in rural India, Sharmila Yadav always wanted to be a pilot and is now living her dream remotely, flying a heavy-duty drone across the skies to cultivate the country's picturesque farmlands......»»
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.....»»