Research reveals that storm clouds on Jupiter affect the planet's white zones and colorful belts, changing their flow and even altering their colors. The study tracked the effects of these storms using coordinated observations from six telescopes and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
A team of astronomers has discovered a second giant planet, β Pictoris c, in the Beta Pictoris system. The exoplanet has a mass nine times that of Jupiter and completes its orbit in approximately 1,200 days. This detection marks the first time a planet has been found around a star like β Pictoris using the radial velocity method.
A colossal collision between Jupiter and a still-forming planet may have stirred up the core, altering its density and composition. Researchers suggest this event could explain Juno's puzzling gravitational readings, which indicate a less dense and more extended core than expected.
The new image shows Jupiter's trademark Great Red Spot and a more intense color palette in the clouds than seen in previous years. The colorful bands result from differences in atmospheric pressures and ice cloud thickness.
Astronomers observe WASP-121b, a scorching hot exoplanet losing its atmosphere and emitting heavy metals like iron and magnesium. The planet's extreme conditions make it an ideal target for studying the physics of ultra-hot Jupiters.
The study reveals that hot Jupiter WASP-121b is losing its hydrogen and helium atmosphere due to strong gravity, allowing heavier elements like magnesium and iron to escape. The observations provide insights into the planet's extreme environment and its potential for hosting life.
Researchers used observations and physics theory to estimate magnetic field strengths for four hot Jupiters, ranging from 20 to 120 gauss. The findings suggest that internal heat flux plays a key role in determining planetary magnetic fields.
Researchers measured Jupiter's electric current system and found that alternating currents play a crucial role in generating the aurora. The study used data from NASA's Juno spacecraft to derive electric currents and found a total of approximately 50 million amperes, significantly lower than expected values.
Astronomers have detected a circumplanetary disk of gas and dust around the young gas giant PDS 70 c, 370 light years from Earth. The discovery provides direct evidence of planet formation and challenges current theories.
Astronomers have made the first-ever observations of a circumplanetary disk around PDS 70, a young star located 370 light-years from Earth. The ALMA data provide compelling evidence for the existence of multiple moons in the system, with two Jupiter-like planets and a potential third planet on its own orbit.
The Gemini Planet Imager survey discovered six planets and three brown dwarfs orbiting 300 stars, offering new insights into the formation of Jupiter-like planets and their distribution around high-mass stars. The findings suggest that wide-orbiting giant planets are more common around high mass stars, but rare around sun-like stars.
Scientists from IAC and ULL analyze MASCARA-2B/KELT-20b's atmosphere, revealing details on its composition and temperature. The team detected hydrogen beta, singly ionized iron, and magnesium using CARMENES spectrograph.
A new study analyzing 300 stars finds that Jupiter-like gas giants congregate between 3 and 10 astronomical units from their stars. This 'sweet spot' is where most large planets are found, peaking in occurrence rate around 3-10 AU.
New research analyzes light from CI Tau b, a close-orbiting giant exoplanet, to determine its mass and brightness. The study provides strong evidence for the 'hot start' theory of planet formation, challenging traditional models.
Researchers discovered that Rqc2 marks protein fragments with a flag, allowing proteases to cut up bad fragments. The study sheds light on the ancient mechanism used by bacteria to recycle incomplete proteins, which has implications for understanding life's origins and developing new treatments for diseases.
Researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf found that Venus, Earth, and Jupiter's tidal forces impact the Sun's magnetic field, causing it to follow a regular cycle. This discovery explains the Sun's 11-year activity cycle and has implications for climate predictions and space weather.
Researchers investigate Haumea's ring, suggesting a degree of eccentricity is required for resonance to act on particles. They identify stable, circular orbits compatible with the ring, contradicting previous assumptions.
Scientists will study Uranus and Neptune's poorly understood regions with greater accuracy using a new, improved net flux radiometer. The instrument, developed for NASA's Planetary Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations program, features thermopile sensors and seven infrared channels to measure heat.
A team of researchers has discovered a stellar flare ten times more powerful than anything seen on our sun, erupting from an ultracool star almost the same size as Jupiter. The star, ULAS J224940.13-011236.9, is only a tenth of the radius of our own sun and is considered a brown dwarf by some definitions.
Researchers found evidence of a giant exoplanet orbiting an evolved binary system, with a mass approximately 13 times that of Jupiter. The discovery was made possible by analyzing variations in eclipse timing and orbital period using Kepler Space Telescope data.
Researchers used computer simulations to discover Jupiter was formed four times further from the sun than its current position and migrated over 700,000 years. The Trojan asteroids' asymmetry provided key evidence for this migration theory.
Astronomers confirm the existence of a hot Jupiter-like planet, Kepler-1658 b, orbiting an evolved star. The discovery, led by University of Hawaii graduate student Ashley Chontos, provides new insights into planetary interactions and the rarity of planets around similar stars.
The latest data from Juno and Cassini spacecraft has challenged existing theories on planetary formation and behavior, revealing new insights into Jupiter and Saturn's magnetic fields and atmospheres. Surprisingly, the atmosphere is evenly mixed, contradicting conventional predictions.
Scientists have recovered accurate values for precession frequencies of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter using lake sediment data from the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic epochs. The findings provide insights into climate variations driven by Solar System chaos and could constrain models of Solar System evolution.
Research led by UT Austin found that Ceres' crust keeps cryomagma liquid for up to 10 million years after impact, contradicting earlier estimates. The discovery helps scientists understand primary forces driving volcanic activity and could shed light on Europa's potential for life.
The Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered new insights into the weather patterns of Uranus and Neptune, revealing dynamic atmospheres with mysterious dark storms. The observations suggest that these storms form in a similar way to Jupiter's Great Red Spot and are driven by seasonal changes.
Matthew D. Disney's laboratory has proven that RNA can be a small-molecule drug target, offering new ways to tackle incurable diseases. His work has already provided lead medicines for genetic diseases and difficult-to-treat cancers.
Physicists at Rice University have successfully cooled a neutral plasma using lasers, a technique that could lead to new insights into exotic states of matter and potentially even breakthroughs in quantum computing. The achievement sets the stage for simulators of super-dense stars like Jupiter and white dwarf stars.
Scientists identified a six-seven year cycle of spectacular disturbances at Jupiter's equator, where clouds vanish completely allowing deeper viewing into the planet's atmosphere. The researchers expect to see another event soon, possibly as early as next year, with implications for NASA's Juno mission.
A team of UNLV and international astronomers has conducted the first large-sample survey of protoplanetary disks using ALMA, yielding high-resolution images of 20 nearby disks. The results reveal a large population of young planets at wide-orbit similar to Neptune or Jupiter, which may be similar to our solar system
A team led by SwRI has concluded that Ceres' surface is rich in organic matter, containing several times more carbon than primitive meteorites found on Earth. The surface's unique mineralogy and rock-water interactions suggest a cold environment formation process.
The giant exoplanet WASP-69b carries a comet-like tail made of helium particles escaping its gravitational field propelled by ultraviolet radiation from its star. The team analyzed the planet's atmosphere using the CARMENES instrument, revealing a stronger and longer-lasting dimming of starlight in a region where helium gas absorbs light.
Scott Bolton, associate vice president of SwRI's Space Science and Engineering Division, receives the 2018 American Ingenuity Award from Smithsonian Magazine for his work on NASA's Juno mission. The mission has revealed complex, turbulent structures around Jupiter, including iconic belts and zones, Earth-sized cyclones, and a lumpy mag...
The NASA Astrobiology Program has awarded a $7 million grant to the Oceans Across Space and Time (OAST) alliance to search for life in present and past oceans on Mars, Jupiter's moon Europa, and Saturn's moon Enceladus. The team aims to develop technologies that can detect signs of life in various environments.
A young star with a protoplanetary disc has been discovered to have four Jupiter and Saturn-sized planets in orbit around it. The system's extreme range of orbits raises questions about how such a system might have formed.
Researchers found widespread strike-slip faulting on Ganymede, indicating complex geologic activity in the past. This discovery improves our understanding of Ganymede's tectonic history and its neighbor Europa's potential for hosting life.
Scientists predict 15-meter-tall sharp ice formations on Europa's surface could pose a hazard for future landing missions. The unique conditions on the moon create perfect conditions for these structures to form, which could be observed by NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper mission.
Researchers at Southwest Research Institute studied the Patroclus-Menoetius binary asteroid pair and found that its existence indicates an earlier dynamical instability. This instability pushed Uranus and Neptune outwards, scattering small bodies into the Kuiper Belt, where they formed the Trojan asteroids.
Researchers have proposed a new model for Jupiter's birth, revealing three distinct phases of growth. The first phase was characterized by rapid accretion of small pebbles and core building, followed by slower accretion of larger planetesimals that brought energy to the growing planet.
Research team proposes that ultrahot Jupiters have normal compositions, with atmospheres resembling stars due to high temperatures and radiation. Water molecules are torn apart on the dayside, but may recombine into clouds in the nightside hemispheres.
Researchers discovered a massive increase in wave power near Jupiter's moons Ganymede and Europa, a million times more intense than average. This phenomenon is attributed to the strong magnetic fields of these moons, which amplify low-frequency radio waves.
Astronomers have detected a strong magnetic field in a planetary-mass object beyond our Solar System, similar to Jupiter's but over 200 times stronger. The object is believed to be a free-floating planet, only 12.7 times more massive than Jupiter, and has a surface temperature of about 825 degrees Celsius.
Researchers have discovered a complex and previously unknown phenomenon in Jupiter's upper atmosphere. The discovery reveals that the planet's magnetic equator is surprisingly simple, but its ionosphere between the equator and pole is very complex.
Researchers have determined the detailed chemical abundances of Ross 128, a red dwarf star that hosts an exoplanet similar to our Solar System's Jupiter. This helps estimate the makeup of Ross 128 b, indicating it should be rocky with a temperate climate.
New images from the Juno spacecraft reveal that Jupiter's moons Io and Ganymede cast multiple, double-wingshaped auroral footprints on their parent planet. These large lunar bodies decorate the atmosphere with unusual patterns, previously seen as a bright spot footprint of each nearby moon.
The James Webb Space Telescope will create multispectral maps of the Great Red Spot, analyzing its thermal, chemical, and cloud structures. Scientists hope to observe unique chemical byproducts of the storm, which could reveal its composition.
A study suggests that Jupiter's surface jet streams could provide evidence for a rocky core at its center. Researchers used computer simulations to analyze data from NASA's Juno spacecraft, which found evidence of local variations in the planet's magnetic and gravity fields.
A team of astronomers has developed a new technique to find young extrasolar planets by analyzing the motion of gas in protoplanetary disks. The method successfully confirmed the existence of two Jupiter-mass planets around star HD 163296, providing insight into planet formation and the process that shaped our own solar system.
A Brazilian scientist and her co-author found that an extrasolar asteroid has stably occupied a stable path corresponding to Jupiter's orbit for at least 4.5 billion years. The asteroid is believed to have originated from outside the Solar System, likely captured by Jupiter's powerful gravitational field.
A study co-authored by UCLA scientists reveals evidence of water vapor plumes on Europa's surface, providing further support for the possibility of a vast ocean beneath its icy outer shell. The research suggests that there are energy sources in the moon's interior that would be required if life were to develop on Europa.
Scientists discovered a new hot Jupiter exoplanet, KPS-1b, using data from an amateur astronomer. The exoplanet orbits a star similar to the Sun and has a mass and size close to that of Jupiter. Its proximity to its parent star results in extremely high temperatures in its atmosphere.
Scientists have documented a 405,000-year climate cycle in ancient rocks, which repeats every 405,000 years and plays a role in natural climate swings. The cycle is believed to result from a complex interplay with the gravitational influences of Venus and Jupiter.
A Rutgers-led study found that the 405,000-year cycle of gravitational tugs from Jupiter and Venus has shaped our planet's climate for over 215 million years. This consistent pattern allows scientists to precisely date geological events like the spread of dinosaurs.
Scientists analyzed newly resurrected data from Galileo's first flyby of Ganymede, revealing a stormy scene with particles blasted off the moon's icy surface due to incoming plasma rain. The results may hold key insights into why Ganymede's auroras are so bright.
The Juno mission has discovered that Jupiter's atmospheric bands extend thousands of miles into the planet's atmosphere, with winds speeds as great as 220 miles per hour. This finding challenges previous understanding of giant planets and reveals a complex structure beneath the cloud layer.
Researchers used NASA's Juno spacecraft data to reveal that Jupiter's colorful bands are not just surface phenomena, but significant strata extending 3,000 km deep. The analysis shows that Jupiter's atmosphere is only 1% of its total mass, a surprising discovery.
Scientists have discovered intricate storm patterns at Jupiter's poles, with eight and five storms surrounding a central cyclone in each hemisphere. This unusual arrangement challenges our understanding of atmospheric dynamics, sparking hopes for new insights into planetary weather.
Researchers compared the conditions on Europa with those of a terrestrial environment, finding similarities with a deep subterranean mine where bacteria survive without sunlight. They propose that radioactivity in Europa's crust could lead to chemical imbalances and potentially support life.
Researchers detected objects in extragalactic galaxies with masses ranging from the Moon to Jupiter using microlensing. The discovery marks the first time planets have been found outside the Milky Way galaxy.
Astronomers discovered a 'hot Jupiter' with westward winds, defying theory. The planet's atmosphere may interact with its magnetic field or be affected by clouds, raising new questions about the phenomenon.