Instability at the Beginning of the Solar System – Implications for Mysterious “Planet 9”
The Instability at the Beginning of the Solar System A new explanation for why our solar system is the way it is — and why…
Solar System News
Why Venus Rotates, Slowly, Despite Sun’s Powerful Gravitational Pull
The planet’s atmosphere explains the gravity of the situation. Venus, Earth’s sister planet, would likely not rotate, if not for its soupy, fast-moving atmosphere. Instead,…
Jupiter’s Origin Story: Intriguing New Details on the Gas Giant’s Formation Journey
Researchers of the University of Zurich (UZH) and the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS have investigated Jupiter’s formation history in great detail….
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…
Where on Earth Did the Water Come From?
Earth’s supply of water is incredibly important for its ability to sustain life, but where did that water come from? Was it present when Earth…
Warps Drive Disruptions in Planet Formation Through Gravitational Instability in Young Solar Systems
A new study from the University of Warwick demonstrates the impact of passing stars, misaligned binary stars, and passing gas clouds on the formation of…
Earth’s Water Was Around Before Planet Earth
To understand how life emerged, scientists investigate the chemistry of carbon and water. In the case of water, they track the various forms, or isotopes,…
Webb Space Telescope: Uncovering Hidden Parts of Our Solar System
The James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) is designed to answer fundamental questions about the Universe. One of Webb’s key science goals is to study the…
High-Energy Oxygen Ions Discovered in Jupiter’s Innermost Radiation Belts
Researchers find high-energy oxygen and sulfur ions in Jupiter’s inner radiation belts — and a previously unknown ion source. Nearly 20 years after the end…
Lost in Space: Earth and Mars Were Formed From Missing Solar System Material
By looking at the range of isotopic variations in terrestrial and meteoritic samples, a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientist and collaborators have figured out…
Earth and Mars Were Formed From Collisions of Large Bodies Made of Inner Solar System Material
International research team investigated the isotopic composition of rocky planets in the inner Solar System. Earth and Mars were formed from material that largely originated…
Analyzing Meteorites To Track Down the Forces That Shaped Our Solar System’s Evolution
Meteorites are remnants of the building blocks that formed Earth and the other planets orbiting our Sun. Recent analysis of their isotopic makeup led by…
Hubble’s Stunning Grand Tour of the Outer Solar System
Stunning Yearly Observations Reveal Changes to Gas Giants’ Atmospheres In Greek mythology, a race of giants, called the Titans, first ruled the world. The ancient…
The Early Solar System Had a Mysterious Gap Where the Asteroid Belt Is Today
Wind the cosmic clock back a few billion years and our Solar System looked much different than it does today. About 4.5 billion years ago,…
Planetary Composition: The Planet Does Not Fall Far From the Star
A compositional link between planets and their respective host star has long been assumed in astronomy. For the first time now, a team of scientists,…
A Mysterious Gap Within the Solar System’s Protoplanetary Disk
Scientists find evidence the early solar system harbored a gap between its inner and outer regions. The cosmic boundary, perhaps caused by a young Jupiter…
Planet Discovered That Survived Its Star’s Death: A Crystal Ball Into Our Solar System’s Future
Giant gas planet orbiting a dead star gives glimpse into the predicted aftermath of our sun’s demise. Astronomers have discovered the very first confirmed planetary…
NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft To Explore Unique Asteroid for Clues to Early Solar System
Set to launch next year, NASA’s Psyche mission marks the first time the agency has set out to explore an asteroid richer in metal than…