The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has detected a comet's rotation period slow by more than 10 times in just 60 days, revealing light variations associated with material recently ejected into the coma. The comet's small size and high water production suggest that more than half of its surface area contains sunlight-activated jets.
A NASA-led team has identified that gravity waves are the primary driver of Jupiter's equatorial jet stream's reversal, with convection in the lower atmosphere producing waves that travel up to the stratosphere. The findings could help scientists better understand the dynamic atmosphere of Jupiter and other planets.
A study led by University of Leicester scientist Dr. Leigh Fletcher found that massive northern storms on Saturn can disrupt its equatorial atmospheric patterns, similar to those seen on Earth. The research reveals a link between distant events in a planet's climate system, known as teleconnection.
Researchers measured gas levels in comet 45P, revealing it doesn't match any studied before, with carbon monoxide and methane being detected. The team found a larger-than-average share of frozen methanol, raising questions about its origin.
The oversized planet WASP-18b is wrapped in a smothering stratosphere loaded with carbon monoxide and devoid of water. The formation of this atmosphere is attributed to 'sunscreen'-like molecules absorbing UV radiation and releasing heat, which is unusual compared to other gas giants.
A study using the W. M. Keck Observatory measured the spin rates of three planetary-mass companions, finding rates similar to those of small free-floating brown dwarfs, suggesting two possibilities: the companions could be brown dwarfs or planets that formed with similar spins
A new physical model proposes that most of Earth's water came from objects scattered into the inner Solar System by Jupiter's rapid growth. The model suggests that Jupiter's massive size and gravitational pull disturbed thousands of water-rich planetesimals, delivering them to the region currently occupied by Earth's orbit.
The James Webb Space Telescope has released early data from its first five months of operations, targeting Jupiter and its moons, organic molecule-forming infant stars, supermassive black holes, and baby galaxies. The observations will explore exoplanet atmospheres using infrared spectrographs and peer into the distant universe to exam...
A giant gas giant planet, NGTS-1b, has been discovered orbiting a tiny star, defying conventional formation theories. The planet's proximity to its star and short orbital period pose significant challenges for understanding the origins of such massive worlds.
NGTS-1b, the largest planet compared to its companion star, has been discovered by an international collaboration of astronomers. The giant gas giant orbits a small star half the size of our Sun and challenges theories on planet formation.
Research using ESA's XMM-Newton and NASA's Chandra X-ray observatories found that Jupiter's south pole X-ray emissions pulse every 11 minutes, while north pole emissions are erratic. This behavior is distinct from Earth's auroras, which mirror each other in activity.
Astronomers have observed a unique type of object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, revealing two asteroids orbiting each other and exhibiting comet-like features. The research provides crucial information about the origin and evolution of main-belt comets, which can help answer questions about how water came to Earth.
KFU astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a red giant star HD208897, located 210 light years away from Earth. The planet has a mass of 1.4 Jupiter masses and an orbital period of 353 days, marking the first time in Russian astronomy such a discovery was made using spectroscopic methods.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington predicted an additional Earth-like planet in the Gliese 832 system, with stable orbital configuration and mass range of 1-15 Earth masses. The team analyzed simulated data using injected Earth-mass planet to find a habitable zone for potential new world.
A team of astronomers found that there are about seven times more long-period comets measuring at least 1 kilometer across than previously predicted. Long-period comets are nearly twice as large as Jupiter family comets, suggesting an evolutionary difference between the two types of comets.
Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet, HIP65426b, using the SPHERE/VLT instrument for the first time. The planet is located at three times the Earth-Neptune distance from its star and has a mass 6 to 12 times higher than Jupiter.
Bee-Zed asteroid, discovered in 2015, orbits the Sun every 12 years, corresponding with Jupiter's orbital period, and shares its orbit despite moving in the opposite direction. This retrograde co-orbit is rare, occurring only in about 82 of the more than 726,000 known asteroids.
A new study in Geophysical Research Letters finds that a series of unprecedented storms over the Southern Ocean likely caused the most dramatic decline in Antarctic sea ice seen to date. The extreme weather event led to significant losses of sea ice, with researchers suggesting that the storms' impact was exacerbated by climate change.
KELT-9b, a Jupiter-like gas giant, has a 'year' of only 1.5 days and orbits an extremely hot star that radiates more ultraviolet radiation than our sun. The planet's atmosphere is constantly blasted with high levels of radiation, making it inhospitable to life.
KELT-9b orbits a star more than twice as large and nearly twice as hot as our sun, causing its atmosphere to puff up like a balloon. The planet's day side is perpetually bombarded by stellar radiation, making it inhospitable for life.
KELT-9b, a gas giant exoplanet, has a day-side temperature of 4,600 Kelvin, making it hotter than most stars. Its atmosphere is constantly bombarded by stellar radiation due to its tidally locked orbit, preventing the formation of molecules on its surface.
Scientists have discovered an exoplanet, KELT-9b, hotter than most stars, with a day-side temperature of 4,600 Kelvin. The planet's atmosphere is being evaporated due to intense ultraviolet radiation from its host star.
The newly discovered planet KELT-9b has a unique orbit, atmospheric features, and a daytime temperature hotter than most stars. Its surface reaches 7,800 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, just 2,000 degrees cooler than the Sun.
An international team of astronomers led by University of Warwick discovered a giant gas planet up to 50x Jupiter's mass with rings, causing regular eclipses of the young star PDS 110 in Orion constellation. The next eclipse is predicted for September, allowing amateur astronomers to witness and gather new data.
The Juno spacecraft has revealed stunning discoveries about Jupiter's core, composition, and magnetosphere, including a dynamo region in the planet's outer core. Scientists are surprised by similarities to Earth's auroras but also find significant differences, including the existence of heavy elements in the interior.
Researchers combined data from three spacecraft to show that Jupiter's brightest auroral features are powered by both volcanic moon Io and interaction with the solar wind. The energy is transferred at speeds approaching 400-800 km/s, challenging previous assumptions about magnetic fields' dominance.
The Juno mission has revealed cyclones on Jupiter's poles with diameters up to 1,400 kilometers across. The spacecraft also detected a massive magnetic field that is substantially stronger than models predicted, potentially powering the planet's huge aurorae.
University of Leicester astronomers' predictions of Jupiter's planetary phenomena have been confirmed by the Juno mission. The spacecraft has revealed an even more extreme environment than predicted, with intense radiation belts and powerful aurorae.
A NASA scientist is developing an instrument to search for signs of life on Jupiter's moon Europa, leveraging experience from building a Mars instrument. The Ocean Worlds investigation will analyze molecular biosignatures in surface and subsurface samples.
Astronomers have discovered a new gas giant, KELT-11b, with an incredibly low density similar to styrofoam, offering opportunities to test atmospheres and assess habitability. The planet's large atmosphere will aid in developing techniques to identify chemicals and products of life.
Researchers at the University of Leicester have discovered a massive, cold spot on Jupiter's atmosphere, comparable to its famous Great Red Spot, generated by polar aurorae. The phenomenon, potentially thousands of years old, creates a region of cooling in the thermosphere and has been observed to change dramatically over time.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter, at unprecedented resolution. The telescope revealed exquisite details in Jupiter's atmosphere, including small-scale storm systems and wind patterns that reach speeds of up to 400 miles per hour.
Asteroid Bee-Zed, orbiting the wrong way around the sun, has been playing a cosmic game of chicken with Jupiter for a million years. The asteroid's retrograde motion allows it to maintain a stable orbit despite its unusual path, thanks to Jupiter's gravity deflection.
Astronomers discovered a 11 times massive young planet, HD 106906b, which formed outside the debris disk and is 13 million years old. The study suggests this rare peek into planetary formation provides insights into how planets evolve, contradicting current theories.
Researchers suggest an unseen population of gas giant planets may exist at distances similar to Jupiter and Saturn, resolving a long-standing debate about their formation. The predicted planets could be found using NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured a unique image of Jupiter and its three largest moons, Callisto, Io, and Ganymede. The image showcases the planet's distinct bands and was taken at 76 million miles from Earth.
Researchers estimated the solar nebula's lifetime using ancient meteorites, finding it lasted around 3 to 4 million years. This discovery suggests gas giants Jupiter and Saturn formed within the first 4 million years of the solar system's formation.
The team estimated the solar nebula's lifetime using ancient meteorites that formed 4.653 billion years ago, suggesting it disappeared within the first 4 million years of the solar system's formation. The findings indicate that gas giants Jupiter and Saturn must have formed early in the solar system's history.
Researchers create swirling winds in laboratory using spinning table and massive garbage can, demonstrating that Jupiter's jets likely extend into its gaseous interior. The team's analog model mimics the planet's rapid rotation and turbulence conditions necessary for jet formation.
Lucy will be the first spacecraft to study six Trojan asteroids orbiting Jupiter, providing insights into the solar system's origins. The mission aims to decipher the history of the outer planets and understand the causes of differences between Trojans.
The Lucy spacecraft will launch in 2021 and fly by six Trojan asteroids between 2025 and 2033, studying their geology, surface composition, and bulk properties. The mission aims to decipher the history of the solar system and provide critical knowledge about planetary origins.
Researchers found that Neptune-mass worlds are likely the most common type of planet to form in icy outer realms. The study provides insight into the types of planets waiting to be found far from a host star, where scientists suspect planets form most efficiently.
Scientists have found that Jupiter's massive gravity may have formed rare, high-velocity meteorites called CB chondrites. These meteorites suggest Jupiter was near its current size and in the asteroid belt when they were formed, about 5 million years after the solar system solidified.
Researchers have tracked 48 volcanic hotspots on Io's surface over a 29-month period, capturing heat coming off active eruptions and lava flows. The observations reveal that most eruptions occur on the trailing face of Io, with some appearing to progress across the surface over time.
A team of researchers has shed light on the origin of centaur rings, revealing a scenario where tidal disruptions lead to disc formation and ring creation. The study suggests that rings around centaurs are more common than previously thought, with many awaiting discovery.
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have imaged what may be water vapor plumes erupting off the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. The observation increases the possibility that missions to Europa may be able to sample its ocean without having to drill through miles of ice.
Researchers at HZDR propose a new mechanism linking planetary tidal effects to the Sun's dynamo, which could drive the 11-year solar cycle. The theory suggests that small forces from Venus, Earth, and Jupiter can initiate oscillations in the alpha effect, leading to polarity reversals.
A team of Carnegie scientists has discovered three giant planets in a binary star system composed of stellar 'twins' that are also effectively siblings of our Sun. The findings may help explain the influence that giant planets like Jupiter have over a solar system's architecture.
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 from MIT and the University of Liège announce a new study on the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system, which hosts three potentially habitable, Earth-sized worlds. The team discovers that two innermost planets have compact atmospheres similar to those of rocky planets like Earth, Venus, and Mars.
The tiny radiation-resistant chips play a crucial role in the Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instrument (JEDI), measuring particle speed, energy, and position with time accuracy down to a fraction of a billionth of a second. Without these microchips, satellite electronics would be much heavier and require more shielding and power.
Dr. John Spencer has received the AGU's Whipple Award for his outstanding contributions to planetary science, including deciphering Enceladus' internal ocean and discovering oxygen on Jupiter's moons.
Researchers have found evidence of water clouds in WISE 0855, a nearby brown dwarf that is the coldest known object outside of our solar system. The team used spectroscopic observations to study its composition and chemistry, revealing a spectrum dominated by water vapor and clouds.
Researchers at Harvard University observed evidence of Jupiter's hydrogen transitioning into liquid metal, a key to the planet's powerful magnetic field. The findings could revolutionize rocketry and energy science, as well as our understanding of solar system origins.
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.
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 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.
New observations reveal a widespread view of activity below Jupiter's clouds, including hot spots and dry regions devoid of clouds and condensable gases. The detected ammonia plumes swell up in wave patterns, suggesting motion deep within the atmosphere.
Astronomers have produced the most detailed radio map yet of Jupiter's atmosphere, revealing massive movement of ammonia gas that underlies colorful bands and whirling clouds. The study sheds light on global circulation and cloud formation driven by Jupiter's internal heat source.