Four and a half billion years ago, the nascent solar system was a chaotic cloud of gas and dust. This primordial mix, swirling around the newly formed sun, began to condense and coalesce into solid bodies, giving rise to asteroids and planets. This initial stage of planetary formation occurred within a structure known as a … Read more
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
Cosmology is the scientific study of the large-scale properties of the universe as a whole. It aims to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and eventual fate of the universe. By examining cosmic phenomena such as the Big Bang, cosmic microwave background radiation, dark matter, and dark energy, cosmologists develop theories and models that explain how … Read more
Ever since aurora chasers discovered Steve, a mysterious ribbon of purple light in the night sky, scientists have wondered whether it might have a secret twin. Now, thanks to a photographer’s keen eye, and data from ESA’s Swarm satellites, we may have found it. Steve was a sensation when scientists stumbled across it a few … Read more
For the first time, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ices have been observed in the far reaches of our solar system on trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). A research team, led by planetary scientists Mário Nascimento De Prá and Noemí Pinilla-Alonso from the University of Central Florida’s Florida Space Institute (FSI), made the findings by using the … Read more
Astronomers have made the rare and tantalizing discovery of an Earth-like exoplanet 40 light-years away that may be just a little warmer than our own world. The new paper “Gliese 12 b, A Temperate Earth-sized Planet at 12 Parsecs Discovered with TESS and CHEOPS,” has been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. … Read more
Recent discoveries by the James Webb Space Telescope have unveiled surprising details about WASP-107 b, an exoplanet that has intrigued astronomers with its puffy, cotton candy-like appearance. The findings reveal an unexpectedly low amount of methane and a massive core, providing new insights into the planet’s structure and composition. WASP-107 b orbits a star roughly … Read more
Why is the warm gas-giant exoplanet WASP-107 b so puffy? Two independent teams of researchers have an answer. Data collected using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, combined with prior observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, show surprisingly little methane (CH4) in the planet’s atmosphere, indicating that the interior of WASP-107 b must be significantly hotter … Read more
Dead stars known as white dwarfs, have a mass like the sun while being similar in size to Earth. They are common in our galaxy, as 97% of stars are white dwarfs. As stars reach the end of their lives, their cores collapse into the dense ball of a white dwarf, making our galaxy seem … Read more
An asteroid dubbed “Lucy’s baby” after a NASA spacecraft discovered it is orbiting another asteroid last November is,, in fact,, a solar system toddler—just 2–3 million years old, a Cornell-led research team estimates using novel statistical calculations. The team derived the age of Selam, a “moonlet” circling the small asteroid Dinkinesh in the main asteroid … Read more
A team of astronomers and citizen scientists has discovered a planet in the habitable zone of an unusual star system, including two stars and potentially another exoplanet. The planet hunters spotted the Neptune-like planet as it crossed in front of its host star, temporarily dimming the star’s light in a way akin to a solar … Read more
Analyzing samples retrieved from the asteroid Ryugu by the Japanese Space Agency’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft has revealed new insights into the magnetic and physical bombardment environment of interplanetary space. The results of the study, carried out by Professor Yuki Kimura at Hokkaido University and co-workers at 13 other institutions in Japan, are published in the journal … Read more
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have gained new insights in the field of high-pressure carbon chemistry: They synthesized two new carbides—compounds of carbon and another chemical element—with unique structures. The results may provide an unexpected explanation of the wide spread of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the universe. The research is published in the journal Nature Communications. Carbides … Read more
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
The search for gravitational lenses is a fascinating endeavor in astronomy and cosmology that has revolutionized our understanding of the universe’s structure, composition, and evolution. Gravitational lenses are cosmic phenomena predicted by Einstein’s general theory of relativity, where the gravitational field of massive objects, such as galaxies or galaxy clusters, bends and distorts the paths … Read more
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of astronomy by enabling new approaches to data analysis, pattern recognition, and knowledge discovery. From processing vast amounts of observational data to enhancing simulations, AI techniques are enhancing our understanding of the universe and accelerating scientific discoveries. The role of AI in astronomy encompasses a wide range of … Read more
The interstellar medium (ISM) is the vast expanse of gas and dust that fills the space between stars in galaxies. Comprising a complex mixture of elements, molecules, and particles, the ISM plays a crucial role in the formation and evolution of stars, planets, and galaxies. Understanding the properties and dynamics of the interstellar medium is … Read more
The Kuiper Belt, a vast region of icy bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune, holds valuable clues about the early solar system’s formation and evolution. This distant realm, named after astronomer Gerard Kuiper, is home to a diverse array of objects, including dwarf planets, comets, asteroids, and trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Exploring the Kuiper Belt and … Read more
Astrobiology, a multidisciplinary field at the intersection of astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and planetary science, explores the origins, evolution, distribution, and potential for life in the universe. This fascinating realm of scientific inquiry delves into fundamental questions about the nature of life, its cosmic origins, and the conditions required for habitability beyond Earth. From the … Read more
The exploration of planetary systems beyond our solar system has revealed a surprising diversity of worlds, challenging our preconceptions and expanding our understanding of cosmic evolution. From hot Jupiter systems with close-in gas giants to compact multi-planet systems and distant exoplanetary families, the variety of planetary configurations defies simple categorization and underscores the complexity of … Read more