New research from North Carolina State University reveals that Mercury's crust-forming volcanism stopped around 3.5 billion years ago, likely due to the planet's small mantle size and rapid cooling. This finding provides insight into Mercury's geological evolution and challenges previous theories about planetary formation.
Researchers from Boston University found that Jupiter's Great Red Spot is responsible for heating the planet's upper atmosphere to unusually high temperatures. The team used infrared observations to map temperature anomalies across the planet, revealing that the Great Red Spot's heat distribution matches the observed values.
Researchers use SPHERE instrument to image first planet in wide orbit inside a triple-star system, suggesting such systems may be more common than thought. The planet, HD 131399Ab, has an unstable orbit and is estimated to be around 16 million years old, making it one of the youngest exoplanets discovered.
Researchers directly detected a gas giant planet with a wide orbit in the young triple star system HD 131399, challenging existing knowledge about exoplanet detection. The unusual arrangement of the three stars and the planet's size, containing water and methane, may have formed through interactions between planets or binary stars.
Astronomers have discovered a planet in a unique position between three stars, experiencing constant daylight or triple sunrises and sunsets. The planet, HD 131399Ab, is one of the youngest exoplanets discovered to date and has a wide orbit within a multi-star system.
Researchers discovered that Mercury's surface was formed by melting at high pressures near the core-mantle boundary. The study suggests that the unique sulfur content and pressure-temperature conditions explain the heterogeneous surface composition.
Researchers suggest that hot, rocky planets could alter their bulk composition, density, and internal structure due to steam atmosphere loss. This process may have implications for understanding the early Earth's evolution and character.
The Carnegie Institution for Science has published a study on the distances of brown dwarfs and low-mass stars, using the CAPSCam instrument. The study reveals accurate distance measurements for 134 objects, including 38 previously unmeasured brown dwarfs.
Geologists at MIT traced Mercury's cooling history, finding the planet cooled dramatically in half a billion years. The team used data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft to analyze lava deposits and found that older deposits had distinct chemical compositions.
New high-resolution maps and images of Jupiter showcase the planet's dynamic atmosphere, including giant storms and vortices. These observations will help set the scene for Juno's close-up views of Jupiter and provide a global context for its thermal structure, cloud cover, and gaseous species.
New research suggests that Earth's ancient magnetic field had multiple poles and fluctuated wildly in terms of intensity. The findings propose a new hypothesis for the solidification of the inner core and its impact on the magnetic field.
A new study published in Geophysical Research Letters reveals that Venus' electric field is capable of accelerating oxygen ions to escape the planet's gravity, stripping away significant amounts of water over billions of years. This discovery challenges previous theories about the planet's loss of oceans and atmospheres.
A team of Caltech-led researchers has discovered the youngest fully-formed exoplanet ever detected, K2-33b, which orbits a young star at 5 to 10 million years old. The planet's proximity to its star and large size suggest it may have formed quickly or challenged the migration theory.
Astronomers have discovered a newborn exoplanet, K2-33b, which is five-10 million years old and orbits its star once every five days. The discovery provides an extraordinary snapshot of the planet formation process, allowing researchers to study how planets form and develop.
The KELT Follow-Up Network, the largest coordinated network of its kind, contributed key observations to confirm the existence of Kepler-1647 b. The planet, a gas giant, orbits two stars and takes nearly 3 years to complete its orbit, making it the longest-period transiting exoplanet found so far.
New calculations suggest the six extreme trans-Neptunian objects, initially used to propose Planet Nine, would have unstable orbits if it exists. The orbits of these objects could escape the Solar System in less than 1.5 billion years.
A team of researchers discovered a new planet orbiting two suns simultaneously, Kepler-1647b, the largest circumbinary planet with a mass and radius similar to Jupiter. Located 3,700 light-years away, the planet has an enormous orbit taking roughly three Earth-years to complete.
Astronomers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and San Diego State University have discovered the largest planet yet found around a double-star system. Kepler-1647 b is approximately 4.4 billion years old and has a mass and radius nearly identical to that of Jupiter.
Astronomers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and San Diego State University have discovered a new planet, Kepler-1647b, which orbits two stars and is the largest transiting circumbinary planet ever found. The planet, with a mass and radius similar to that of Jupiter, takes 3 years to orbit its host stars.
Astronomers have found evidence for a tightly orbiting gas giant, PTFO8-8695 b, which is being torn away by its 2 million-year-old star. The planet's outer layers are likely to be destroyed, and its ultimate fate remains uncertain.
Astronomers at Lund University propose that Planet 9, a mysterious object in our solar system, may be an exoplanet captured by the sun. The study suggests that the sun stole the planet from its original star during a close encounter.
Researchers at Rice University have discovered a giant planet, CI Tau b, orbiting a young star in the constellation Taurus. The planet, at least eight times larger than Jupiter, orbits its 2 million-year-old star every nine days and is thought to have formed rapidly, with surrounding gas and dust still present.
Researchers found that Kepler-62f could sustain life with an atmosphere 3-5 times thicker than Earth's composed entirely of carbon dioxide. The team also ran simulations on different orbital configurations, finding multiple scenarios that allow the planet to be habitable.
Researchers have confirmed that Mars has undergone multiple rounds of climate change using radar measurements of its polar ice caps. The study reveals the planet's current retreat from an ice age began approximately 370,000 years ago and is still ongoing.
A team of researchers found material dating back to shortly after Earth's formation in rock formations from Baffin Island and the Ontong-Java Plateau. The discovery sheds light on the planet's internal dynamics over its last 4.5 billion years, providing new insights into the chemistry and processes that shaped our planet.
New research by astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics examines scenarios for Planet Nine's formation and finds most have low probabilities. The simplest solution suggests the solar system created an extra gas giant, boosting Planet Nine into its wider orbit over time.
Researchers recreated high-pressure conditions to study iron isotope fractionation, shedding light on Earth's core composition and planetary history. The study identified potential light elements in the core, including oxygen, silicon, and sulfur, and provides a new understanding of the planet's geochemical evolution.
Astronomers discover a small, dark moon orbiting Makemake, the second brightest icy dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt. The moon's diameter is estimated to be 100 miles across and its orbit completes around Makemake in 12 days or longer.
Astronomers have identified a young and bright planet-like object, 2MASS J1119-1137, which is only 10 million years old and four to eight times the mass of Jupiter. This discovery provides valuable insights into giant planets outside our Solar System and offers a unique opportunity to study these objects.
Astronomers have captured unprecedented details of the TW Hydrae disk, which may host a super-Earth or an infant version of our home planet. The images show concentric dusty bright rings and dark gaps, including a tantalizing gap at Earth's distance from the star.
A team of astronomers has mapped the conditions on 55 Cancri e, a rocky exoplanet about twice the size and eight times the mass of Earth. The planet's hot side is almost completely molten, while its cool side is almost solid, with temperatures varying wildly due to a lack of efficient heat transfer.
A new study has mapped the climate patterns on a super-Earth planet, revealing a significant temperature difference between its dayside and nightside. The research found that processes similar to those on Earth, such as high winds or lava flows, are at work on this distant world.
A new study of the young, Sun-like star Kappa Ceti found that a magnetic field played a key role in making a planet conducive to life. The presence of such a field helped shield the atmosphere from intense stellar winds and superflares.
Astronomers have discovered a crescent-shaped dust cloud in the outer reaches of a binary star's protoplanetary disk, providing fresh insights into planet formation. The cloud may be the key to forming planets in binary systems, with its lack of free-floating gases likely due to freezing out and forming ice on dust grains.
Astronomers have discovered a planetary system with an enormous planet sandwiched between a Sun-like star and a dwarf star. The planet's massive eccentric orbit indicates gravitational influence from the dwarf star, leading to Kozai oscillations that cause it to 'dance' between the two stars.
Astronomers at the University of New South Wales have discovered three potentially habitable planets around a nearby red dwarf star called Wolf 1061. The middle planet, Wolf 1061c, is located within the Goldilocks zone and may be able to support liquid water and life.
A newly discovered exoplanet, HD 106906 b, may have been violently ejected from its birthplace close to its star due to a recent gravitational disturbance. The planet is surrounded by a large dust ring or shroud, which could be evidence of the violent episode.
Phobos will likely break apart and form a ring around Mars due to tidal forces. The debris from Phobos will continue to orbit Mars for millions of years before eventually colliding with the planet.
University of Arizona researchers captured the first photo of a planet forming in a gap within LkCa15's disk, providing insights into protoplanetary formation. The study utilized advanced telescopes and imaging techniques to observe the young star and its surrounding disk.
Researchers from the University of Sydney and other institutions have directly observed a planet in formation for the first time. The planet, located 450 light years away, is surrounded by a vast disc of dust and gas, and its presence has been confirmed through images and spectral fingerprint analysis.
A new study suggests that vast quantities of radiation from superflaring Red Dwarf stars like Kepler-438 can strip away an atmosphere and make a planet uninhabitable. The energy released by each superflare is equivalent to 100 billion megatons of TNT, posing a significant threat to life on Earth-like planets.
Researchers at the University of Warwick have created the first ever weather map of a planet outside our solar system, revealing wind speeds of over 2km per second. The winds on exoplanet HD 189733b are 20 times faster than the fastest recorded on Earth.
The discovery of GJ 1132b, a rocky planet orbiting a red dwarf star, has sparked excitement among astronomers. With temperatures potentially conducive to hosting an atmosphere, this planet is close enough (39 light-years away) to be studied in detail with the Hubble Space Telescope and future observatories.
Scientists have discovered a new exoplanet, GJ 1132b, that is rocky and Earth-sized, orbiting a small star just 39 light-years from Earth. The planet's surface temperature is estimated to be around 500 degrees Fahrenheit, making it uninhabitable for life as we know it.
A new study found that Mercury is being pelted by ancient comet dust, impacting its tenuous atmosphere and surface boundary exosphere. The researchers discovered a cometary dust stream from Comet Encke that explains the timing of calcium emission peaks in the planet's exosphere.
A UCLA professor has proposed a simpler way to define what makes a planet, extending the current definition to all planetary systems. The new approach requires estimates of star mass and planet mass and orbital period, which can be easily obtained with Earth- or space-based telescopes.
NASA's MAVEN mission has determined that Mars is losing gas to space via stripping by the solar wind, a process that may have contributed to the planet's dry climate. The research suggests that powerful solar storms can accelerate this process, potentially playing a significant role in changing Mars' climate over billions of years.
Astronomers suggest that large spiral patterns in circumstellar disks around young stars may indicate the presence of giant unseen planets. Computer simulations support this idea by showing how gas-and-dust disks evolve and how planets can modify disk structures, revealing their mass and position.
Scientists have simulated 3D exotic clouds on GJ1214b, an exoplanet with a flat spectrum that indicates high-altitude clouds or haze in its atmosphere. The clouds could be of salt and are thought to form deep in the atmosphere before rising into the upper atmosphere.
Research suggests that tidally locked planets may have protective magnetic fields due to tidal heating, which helps maintain surface conditions conducive to life. This finding challenges the previous assumption that such planets are at mercy of their star.
Astronomers discovered large discs of dust around two young red dwarf stars near our solar system, hinting at potential new planetary systems forming. The discovery challenges current theories on planet formation and suggests a longer lifespan for such discs.
Astronomers have discovered a young, Jupiter-like exoplanet that provides insights into planetary origins. The Gemini Planet Imager revealed 51 Eridani b, which is still warm and luminous from its formation, with conditions that depend on whether it formed slowly or suddenly.
A team of researchers has discovered a Jupiter-like planet, 51 Eridani b, within a young system that could provide new understanding of how planets formed around our sun. The planet shows the strongest methane signature ever detected on an alien planet, yielding clues about its formation.
Astronomers using Gemini Observatory's new Planet Imager have probed a newly discovered world in unprecedented detail. The planet, 51 Eridani b, is about two times the mass of Jupiter and features a Solar System-like atmosphere with methane detection.
A team of UCLA scientists discovers a Jupiter-like planet, 51 Eridani b, which orbits a nearby star at a distance similar to Saturn's orbit. The planet has the strongest concentration of methane ever detected on a planet outside the Milky Way and is roughly twice the mass of Jupiter.
Scientists have discovered a young Jupiter-like exoplanet, 51 Eridani b, with the strongest methane signature ever detected in an alien planet's atmosphere. The exoplanet is roughly twice the mass of Jupiter and offers insights into planet formation and the early stages of star development.
The team discovered a Jupiter-like planet, called 51 Eridani b, about twice the size of Jupiter and featuring the strongest methane signature ever detected on an alien planet. The discovery sheds light on how planets formed around our sun and could unlock secrets of gas giants' planetary systems.
The Gemini Planet Imager has made its first exoplanet discovery, revealing a planet that may be the lowest-mass exoplanet ever directly imaged. Weighing twice as much as Jupiter, this finding provides insights into how our solar system was formed and paves the way for further research.
A team of astronomers has discovered a Jupiter-like exoplanet called 51 Eridani b, which shows the strongest methane signature ever detected on an alien planet. The new planet is the faintest exoplanet on record and provides clues about how planets formed around the sun.
The newly discovered exoplanet, 51 Eridani b, is a young Jupiter-like planet with the strongest methane signature ever detected on an alien planet. Its mass and atmospheric composition suggest that it formed in a similar way to Jupiter in its infancy.