Moons May Yield Clues to What Makes Planets Habitable for Life
In the search for Earth-like planets, University of Rochester scientist Miki Nakajima turns to computer simulations of moon formations. Earth’s moon is vitally important in…
Planets News
Scientists Discover New Form of Ice – May Be Common on Distant, Water-Rich Planets
Findings could have implications for our understanding of distant, water-rich planets. Researchers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas have discovered a new form of…
How Earth Went From Molten Hellscape to Habitable Planet
Earth formed from the Sun’s protoplanetary disk about 4.6 billion years ago. In the beginning, it was a molten spheroid with scorching temperatures. Over time,…
How Grains of Dust Can Grow Into the Seeds of New Planets
By amassing in high-density regions, dust grains avoid drifting toward the star they are orbiting. A key step in the formation of new planets may…
Happy March Equinox, Earthlings!
March Equinox Welcomes ‘Astronomical’ Spring Did you know our planet has two types of seasons? They are meteorological and astronomical. What’s the difference? “Meteorological seasons”…
Astronomy & Astrophysics 101: Atmosphere
What Is an Atmosphere? An atmosphere is a layer (or several layers) of gas that surrounds a planet, or other celestial body. If a celestial…
Meteorites That Helped Form Earth May Have Originated in the Outer Solar System
Evidence suggests surface minerals of outer main-belt asteroids, proposed to have sourced building blocks of Earth’s water and life, are only stable at low temperatures….
Confessions of a Former Fireball: How Earth Transformed Itself From a Fiery Ball to a Habitable Planet
Researchers at Yale and Caltech have a bold new theory to explain how Earth transformed itself from a fiery, carbon-clouded ball of rocks into a…
Searching for Planet Nine: What Is Lurking in the Outer Reaches of Our Solar System?
The Solar System has eight planets. In 2006, astronomers reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet, the same class as contains Eris, Sedna, Quaoar, Ceres, and…
Tatooine-Like Exoplanet With Two Suns Detected by Ground-Based Telescope
A team of astronomers, led by Professor Amaury Triaud of the University of Birmingham, has detected a rare type of exoplanet using a ground-based telescope….
What’s Happening in the Depths of Distant Worlds? Physics and Chemistry Fundamental to the Existence of Life
Discovery could have revolutionary implications for how we think about the dynamics of exoplanet interiors. The physics and chemistry that take place deep inside our…
Exploring Alien Worlds With NASA’s Webb Space Telescope: TRAPPIST-1 System
During its first operating cycle, the James Webb Space Telescope will set its sights on the TRAPPIST-1 system, an incredible collection of seven rocky exoplanets…
Rare “Tatooine-Like” Exoplanet That Orbits Around Two Stars at Once Spotted by Ground-Based Telescope
A rare exoplanet that orbits around two stars at once has been detected using a ground-based telescope by a team led by the University of…
Chelyabinsk Meteorite: Microscopic View on Asteroid Collisions Could Help Us Understand Planet Formation
A new way of dating collisions between asteroids and planetary bodies throughout our Solar System’s history could help scientists reconstruct how and when planets were…
Salt Deposits and Organic Compounds Discovered on Dwarf Planet Ceres
Researchers find salt deposits in an impact crater on the dwarf planet. The third-largest crater on the dwarf planet Ceres was geologically active at least…
Curiosity Rover Finds a Bizarre Rock on Mars That Looks Like a Flower
The Curiosity rover took a picture of something pretty enticing this week on the surface of Mars. While the object in question looks like a…
Astronomers Identify Real-Life Planet With Two Suns – Like “Tatooine” From Star Wars
Study proves ground-based telescopes can search for planets with two suns. Astronomers have used a new technique to confirm a real-life Tatooine, the fictional planet with…
Mysterious Secret of Venus May Be Hidden in the Heat of the Night
Despite being close to Earth and having nearly the same size, Venus is another world. Underneath its thick mantle of acid sulfuric clouds, at the…