X-ray observations help identify potentially habitable exoplanets

Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) XMM-Newton, astronomers are exploring whether nearby stars could host habitable exoplanets, based on whether they emit radiation that could destroy potential conditions for life as we know it. This type of research will help guide observations with the next generation of telescopes aiming to take … Read more

Exploring the Oort Cloud and Comets

Exploring the Oort Cloud and comets is a captivating journey into the outer reaches of our solar system, shedding light on the origins of celestial bodies, the dynamics of the solar system, and the processes that shaped the early solar nebula. The Oort Cloud, a vast reservoir of icy bodies orbiting the Sun at great … Read more

Evidence for late heavy bombardment timing found in meteorite analysis

Recent discoveries in space science have unveiled intriguing insights into the early dynamics of our solar system, shedding light on the formation of celestial bodies like our moon. A team of space scientists led by the University of Leicester has unearthed evidence from the remnants of a destroyed asteroid, hinting at a crucial period in … Read more

James Webb Space Telescope studies protoplanetary disks, searching for infant planets

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. Now, astronomers are aiming the powerful instruments aboard the James Webb Space … Read more