Astronomers have directly photographed evidence of a Jupiter-like protoplanet forming through the disk instability process, supported by long-debated theory. The new world under construction is embedded in a protoplanetary disk with distinct spiral structure and orbits a young star estimated to be around 2 million years old.
Researchers used NASA's Planetary Spectrum Generator to analyze light from Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, shedding new light on the presence of biosignatures and chemical compounds. The study helps clarify the association between methane on Mars and life, as well as the fate of Martian water.
Researchers propose that chaos terrains on Europa's surface could shuttle oxygen to the moon's subsurface ocean, where it could sustain life. The computer model showed that 86% of oxygen is transported through the ice via a 'porosity wave', potentially raising hopes for finding life in Europa's ocean.
Three exoplanets mistakenly identified as planets are actually small stars, according to a new MIT study. The discovery was made using updated measurements of planet-hosting stars from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission.
The study provides the first detailed view of an exoplanet's global atmosphere, revealing a water cycle that dwarfs Earth's jetstream. The planet's night side is home to iron clouds, titanium rain, and winds that whip around at speeds of up to 5 kilometers per second.
Researchers discovered a complex relationship between Jupiter's magnetic field, volcanic activity on its moon Io, and the planet's powerful aurorae. The study revealed an electromagnetic 'tug-of-war' lights up aurorae in Jupiter's upper atmosphere.
Three newly-discovered gas giant planets have extremely short orbits around subgiant or giant stars, with one planet TOI-2337b destined for consumption in less than 1 million years. The study's findings suggest chaotic planet-to-planet interactions and unpredictable heating rates, offering new insights into planetary system evolution.
Researchers have discovered a giant gas planet, TOI-2180 b, with a diameter comparable to Jupiter's and a mass nearly three times that of Earth. The planet is also believed to contain 105 times the mass of elements heavier than helium and hydrogen.
The study reveals that the region within Io's orbit is dominated by oxygen and sulfur ions, with oxygen prevailing among the two. Further inward, within Amalthea's orbit, oxygen ion concentration increases unexpectedly.
The CHEOPS space telescope has detected the deformation of exoplanet WASP-103b, a rugby ball-shaped world with extreme tides. The planet's Love number indicates similarities with Jupiter's internal structure, suggesting it may be highly inflated due to heating from its star.
Researchers analyzed images from NASA's Juno spacecraft to study the forces driving cyclones on Jupiter. Moist convection drives an upscale energy transfer at Jovian high latitudes.
A team of researchers found that the building blocks of Earth and Mars originated primarily from the inner Solar System, contradicting a popular theory. The study analyzed the isotopic composition of rocky planets and meteorites, revealing that only about 4% of the material came from beyond Jupiter's orbit.
Researchers have discovered at least 70 new free-floating planets, each roughly the mass of Jupiter, in a nearby region of the Milky Way. The discovery was made using observations and archival data from several observatories, including NSF's NOIRLab facilities.
Astronomers used data from ESO's large telescopes and space-based facilities to spot tens of millions of sources in a wide area of the sky, identifying over 70 rogue planets comparable to Jupiter's mass. The discovery could provide clues on how these mysterious objects form, with further advances needed to study them in greater detail.
Researchers from CNRS and ENS de Lyon reveal the driver behind Pluto's Sputnik Planitia basin's flat polygons separated by narrow troughs, which is a sign of thermal convection within the icy mass. The process bears resemblance to ocean movements, not ice layer behavior on Jupiter and Saturn moons.
A team of researchers has discovered a new object orbiting a Sun-like star that was missed by previous searches. The object is estimated to be between 10 and 20 times the mass of Jupiter and is thought to be a large planet or a small brown dwarf.
Researchers analyze new seismic data from the Mars InSight mission to plan for future planetary seismographs. The findings provide insights into Martian seismic activity, signal processing, and instrument operation, paving the way for upcoming missions to the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter's moon Titan.
Astronomers have discovered an ultrahot Jupiter, TOI-2109b, with a record-breaking 16-hour orbit. The planet is estimated to be around 5 times the size of Jupiter and has a day side temperature of approximately 3,500 Kelvin.
Scientists at Scripps Research have created new compounds that activate opioid receptors without inducing tolerance, allowing for sustained pain relief. These 'biased agonists' also avoid respiratory suppression and constipation, making them a promising alternative to traditional opioids.
Researchers use Juno spacecraft data to characterize Jupiter's atmospheric vortices, including the GRS. The studies find that the storm extends deeper into the planet's atmosphere than expected, with possible connections to Jupiter's interior.
Jupiter's banded pattern extends deep beneath the clouds, and the appearance of its belts and zones inverts near the base of the water clouds. The planet's microwave emissions reveal a transition zone between five and 10 bars, where the zones become bright and the belts dark.
A team of scientists led by University of Hawaii at Manoa has discovered a newly-formed planet, 2M0437b, which can be directly observed. The planet is estimated to be several times more massive than Jupiter and formed with its star around the time of main Hawaiian Island emergence.
Researchers used Hubble Space Telescope observations and theoretical models to study a broader population of hot Jupiters. The study provides insight into planet formation and suggests that these planets contain similar sets of molecules, including water and carbon monoxide.
A new analysis suggests that a gap existed within the protoplanetary disk around 4.567 billion years ago, near the asteroid belt, affecting the composition of infant planets. The team found that meteorites from the outer region had stronger magnetic fields than those from the inner region.
The discovery suggests a long-term presence of a water vapor atmosphere only in Europa's trailing hemisphere. This finding advances our understanding of the atmospheres of icy moons and paves the way for future studies of Europa by probes like NASA's Europa Clipper mission.
Researchers detected giant gas planet with Jupiter-like orbit around white dwarf star, confirming planets can exist beyond star death; study suggests Jupiter and Saturn may survive Sun's red giant phase.
Scientists propose sending a spacecraft to Jupiter to observe centaur objects becoming comets, providing insights into the solar system's dynamics and composition. This unique opportunity could reveal the chemical makeup of comets and shed light on how Earth-like planets form.
The discovery of ionized calcium on the exoplanet WASP-76b suggests that its atmospheric temperature is higher than previously thought or that it has very strong upper atmosphere winds. The research findings are from a multiyear project exploring the diversity of planetary atmospheres using high-resolution spectra obtained with Gemini ...
A new study from Scripps Research Institute reveals a previously unrecognized way that nature solves the problem of persulfide instability, through the generation of helpful enzymes. The discovery provides researchers with a new method for generating potentially important sulfur-based molecules in the lab.
Engineering researchers at Florida State University have discovered a new mechanism for the spontaneous formation of Onsager vortices in two-dimensional superfluids. The true explanation involves the exit of vortices from the boundary of a disk-shaped BEC, contrary to the well-accepted evaporative heating mechanism.
Researchers propose that giant hailstones called mushballs carry ammonia deep into the atmospheres of ice giants Uranus and Neptune, hiding it from detection. This process could explain the unexpected lack of ammonia in their atmospheres compared to other planets.
An international team has identified five objects that could help distinguish brown dwarfs from low-mass stars. The companions, characterized by periods of 5-27 days and radii between Jupiter's, provide valuable information about their composition and formation.
Astronomers discovered that comet ATLAS shares the same orbital track as an ancient comet from 1844, suggesting it's a sibling from a parent comet. The comet disintegrated while farther from the Sun than Earth, defying conventional wisdom about comets.
Researchers from FAU Harbor Branch adapted Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry to generate 3D models for tracking lesion progression and impacts on diseased coral colonies. The study found that stony coral tissue loss disease prevalence varied significantly across location, but not through time.
Scientists have developed a novel technique to analyze magnetites in meteorites, providing a historical record of the early Solar System's dynamics. By studying the Tagish Lake meteorite, researchers infer that the parent body formed in the Kuiper Belt and moved to the asteroid belt after Jupiter's formation.
Astronomers create most-detailed map yet of Jupiter's upper atmosphere, confirming aurorae as responsible for planet-wide heating. Researchers use data from the Keck Observatory to reveal unprecedented detail in temperature maps, shedding light on long-standing puzzle.
A team of scientists assembled observations from NASA's Juno spacecraft, W.M. Keck Observatory, and Japan's Hisaki satellite to discover the source of Jupiter's thermal boost. They found that Jupiter's intense aurora is responsible for heating the entire planet's upper atmosphere, contrary to previous models.
Researchers use Keck Observatory's MOSFIRE instrument to analyze the layer-cake structure of a nearby free-floating brown dwarf's atmosphere. The study reveals complex cloud formations, including hot sand grains and exotic elements, with depths reaching up to 446 miles.
Astronomers have captured the first-ever spin measurements of HR 8799, revealing minimum rotation speeds of 10.1 km/s and 15 km/s for planets d and e, respectively. The findings provide new insights into planet formation and magnetic braking, hinting at a possible trend where lower mass planets spin faster.
The Hubble Space Telescope has detected sublimated water vapor in Ganymede's atmosphere, suggesting the presence of liquid water beneath its icy surface. This finding is significant in the search for habitable planets beyond Earth and provides valuable insights into the composition and potential habitability of icy worlds.
A research team has explained the cause of Jupiter's X-ray aurorae, a phenomenon puzzling scientists for decades. The study found that heavy ions with mega-electron volt energies produce the auroral flares, triggered by magnetic compression and electromagnetic waves in Jupiter's magnetosphere.
The Lucy spacecraft is carrying a time-capsule plaque featuring messages from prominent individuals to humanity's descendants. The plaque contains words of advice, wisdom, joy, and inspiration from Nobel Laureates, United States Poet Laureates, and other inspirational figures.
Researchers have solved a decades-old mystery as to how Jupiter produces spectacular bursts of X-rays every few minutes. The X-rays are triggered by periodic vibrations of Jupiter's magnetic field lines, creating waves of plasma that send charged particles towards the planet's atmosphere.
The Milky Way's galactic bar has slowed down its spin by at least 24% since its formation, according to a study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Dark matter acts as a counterweight slowing the spin.
Researchers have calculated that exomoons orbiting free-floating planets could harbor sufficient water to make life possible and sustain it. The study found that the presence of cosmic radiation and tidal forces could keep water in a liquid state, making these systems promising for the detection of life beyond Earth.
Researchers successfully created amorphous ice similar to interstellar space and on Jupiter's moon Europa, which could help interpret data from future NASA missions. They also developed an envelope system that diverts heat away from buildings and stores it for future use, reducing energy consumption by over 50%. Additionally, scientist...
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the first-ever direct image of a giant exoplanet, PDS 70b, which is feeding off material surrounding its young star. The observations provide a unique look at radiation from extremely hot gas falling onto the planet, allowing scientists to estimate how fast it's gaining mass.
Researchers detected a new chemical signature, hydroxyl radical (OH), on the dayside of WASP-33b, an ultra-hot Jupiter. The discovery provides insight into the chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres and could help search for 'Earth-like' planets.
A team of researchers has discovered that Jupiter's polar cap is threaded with both open and closed magnetic field lines, contradicting the long-held assumption of all lines being either open or closed. This finding reveals a complex topology of Jupiter's magnetosphere, raising new questions about its interaction with the solar wind.
A new study tracks the life cycle of Jupiter's auroras, which evolve in a pattern reminiscent of Earth's auroral substorms. The storms emit hundreds of Gigawatts of ultraviolet light as they rotate from night side to day side.
A wayward comet-like object has been spotted near a family of captured ancient asteroids, called Trojans, orbiting the Sun alongside Jupiter. The object shows signs of comet activity, such as a tail, outgassing, and an enshrouding coma of dust and gas.
Scientists have imaged a rare bolide, an extremely bright meteoroid explosion, in Jupiter's upper atmosphere using the Ultraviolet Spectrograph on board the Juno spacecraft. The event was observed for just 17 milliseconds and had distinct spectral characteristics different from the planet's auroras.
A new study by Harvard researchers suggests that a comet originating from the Oort cloud was bumped off-course by Jupiter's gravitational field, increasing the rate of impacts on Earth. The theory provides a satisfactory explanation for the origin and composition of Chicxulub impactor, potentially shedding light on other similar craters.
Astronomers at the Center for Astrophysics have detected a cloud-free exoplanet, WASP-62b, which is similar to Jupiter. The discovery was made using spectroscopy and revealed the presence of sodium in the planet's atmosphere. This finding provides valuable insights into the formation and composition of such rare planets.
Researchers found distinct nitrogen isotopic signatures in iron meteorites, suggesting the protoplanetary disk divided into two reservoirs within 300,000 years of its formation. This discovery challenges current understanding of volatile elements' origin and habitability of exoplanets.
Researchers found that WASP-107b's massive gas envelope could form easily with a less massive core than previously thought, contradicting classical models of gas-giant planet formation. The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of exoplanet formation and the variety of planets in the universe.
A University of Arizona-led research team discovered bands and stripes on the closest brown dwarf to Earth, hinting at processes churning its atmosphere. The findings reveal high-speed winds running parallel to equators, mixing atmospheres and redistributing heat.
Researchers have discovered a binary system of brown dwarfs, orbiting each other at an unprecedented distance, with one object being similar in mass to Jupiter and the other about 8 times less massive. This rare find suggests that star formation processes can create binary systems like those found in our solar system on smaller scales.
Astronomers have measured the motion of a massive Jupiter-like planet in an unlikely orbit around a double star, sparking questions about its formation and evolution. The discovery offers evidence that such oddball orbits are possible and may hold clues to the mysterious Planet Nine in our solar system.
Researchers have found a new network of routes that can transport spacecraft and comets at unprecedented speeds, reaching Jupiter's distance in under a decade. The 'celestial autobahn' or 'celestial highway' acts on several decades, allowing for faster exploration and monitoring of near-Earth objects.