Scientists Long Puzzled by Uranus’ Mysterious Oddities – Japanese Astronomers Find Answers
Uranus’ strange axis of rotation and the unusual properties of its moons and ring system are likely due to an ancient giant icy impact. The…
Planets
Saturn’s Great Atmospheric Mystery Explained by New Data From NASA’s Cassini
New mapping of the giant planet’s upper atmosphere reveals likely reason why it’s so hot. The upper layers in the atmospheres of gas giants —…
Missing-Link in Planet Evolution Found – Predicted to Exist More Than 70 Years Ago
For the first time ever, astronomers have detected a 1.3 km radius body at the edge of the Solar System. Kilometer sized bodies like the…
Using Martian Meteorites to Reconstruct Mars’ Chaotic History
University of Arizona researchers probed Martian meteorites to reconstruct Mars’ chaotic history. Their findings suggest that Mars might not have had a global magma ocean….
NASA Scientists Find Secret in Decades-Old Voyager 2 Data About the Ice Giant Uranus
The ice giant Uranus appears to be losing a bit of its atmosphere to space, perhaps siphoned away by the planet’s magnetic field. Eight and…
Solar System’s Turbulent Formation Quickly Gave Way to Current Planetary Configuration
Model developed by Brazilian researchers shows chaotic phase that placed objects in current orbits beginning within first 100 million years after formation of giant planets….
Surprisingly, Mercury’s 400° C Heat May Help It Make Its Own Ice [Video]
It is already hard to believe that there is ice on Mercury, where daytime temperatures reach 400 degrees Celsius, or 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Now an…
New Minor Planets Discovered Beyond Neptune Using Dark Energy Survey Data
This updated catalog of trans-Neptunian objects and the methods used to find them could aid in future searches for undiscovered planets in the far reaches…
Astronomers Watch Faraway Star System Evolve – Rare Chance to Study a Planetary System Forming
At only 1% the age of the sun, the DS Tuc binary system shows us how a planet might naturally develop before its orbit is…
Evidence Indicates Mars Was Struck by Small Protoplanets Early in Its History
Simulations of early impacts produce a mixed Mars mantle and hint at longer timescale for the planet’s formation. The early solar system was a chaotic…
Mars InSight Lander Yields a Year of Surprising Discoveries Above and Below the Surface of the Red Planet
A batch of new papers summarizes the lander’s findings. A new understanding of Mars is beginning to emerge, thanks to the first year of NASA’s…
Iron Isotopes Show That Planet Earth Formed Much Faster Than Scientists Thought
By measuring iron isotopes, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have shown that our planet originally formed much faster than previously thought. This finding provides…
Journey to the Center of Mars – Investigating the Composition of the Red Planet
While InSight’s seismometer has been patiently waiting for the next big marsquake to illuminate its interior and define its crust-mantle-core structure, two scientists, Takashi Yoshizaki…
Jupiter Water Mystery Updated With Findings From NASA’s Juno Spacecraft
The mission publishes its first stream of data on the amount of water in Jupiter’s atmosphere — the first findings on the gas giant’s water…
Evidence That Early Magnetic Field Around Earth Was Even Stronger Than Scientists Previously Believed
Deep within Earth, swirling liquid iron generates our planet’s protective magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is vital for life on Earth’s surface:…
Pluto’s Icy Heart Heart Beats Daily, Pumping Nitrogen Winds Around the Dwarf Planet
A “beating heart” of frozen nitrogen controls Pluto’s winds and may give rise to features on its surface, according to a new study. Pluto’s famous…
Newfound Martian Proton Aurora Can Help Track Mars’ Water Loss
A type of Martian aurora first identified by NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft in 2016 is actually the most common form of aurora occurring on the Red…
Physicists May Have Just Solved a Fundamental Mystery of How Planets Form
Scientists may have figured out how dust particles can stick together to form planets, according to a Rutgers co-authored study that may also help to…