A recent experiment by UC Riverside astrophysicist Stephen Kane demonstrates that a terrestrial planet in this location would have disastrous effects on the solar system. The simulation found that such a planet could destabilize Earth's orbit, making it far less habitable and potentially ejecting Mercury and Venus from the solar system.
SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalThe Planetary Science Journal·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMar 7, 2023
A new ring system has been found around the Pluto-sized dwarf planet Quaoar, which orbits beyond Neptune. The discovery is remarkable because it lies at a distance of over seven planetary radii from its parent body, posing a challenge to existing theories of ring formation.
SourceUniversity of Sheffield·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 8, 2023
Researchers at Imperial College London found that around half of Earth's zinc inventory came from asteroids in the outer Solar System, contributing to the emergence of life on Earth. The study suggests that this material supplied other important volatiles like water, crucial for sustaining life.
SourceImperial College London·JournalScience·DateJan 27, 2023
Researchers have discovered that primitive meteorites contain a different mix of potassium isotopes than those found in other, more-chemically processed meteorites. This suggests that the Solar System was formed from a 'poorly mixed cake batter' of materials, with some planets receiving a unique blend of elements from distant sources.
SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 26, 2023
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.
An international team of scientists suggests that an outward, fast migration of Jupiter can distort the configuration of Trojan swarms, resulting in more stable orbits in one swarm than the other. This new mechanism provides a natural explanation for the observed asymmetry in the number of asteroids in the L4 and L5 swarms.
SourceNew York University·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·DateJan 17, 2023
Researchers at Hokkaido University have discovered a new pathway to forming presolar grains, which could help scientists better understand the interstellar environment and develop more efficient nanoparticles. The study suggests that these grains formed through a non-classical nucleation pathway, involving three distinct steps.
SourceHokkaido University·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 13, 2023
A new study of 25 comets has found strong evidence that comet outgassing could be the source of the chemical composition of the early solar system. The research, led by Olga Harrington Pinto, measured the ratio of water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide gases from comets to test predictions of solar system formation and evolution.
SourceUniversity of Central Florida·JournalThe Planetary Science Journal·TypeLiterature review·DateNov 4, 2022
The analysis of particles from asteroid Ryugu has revealed a high carbon content, similar to the Sun, and the presence of rare earth metals in concentrations 100 times higher than elsewhere in the solar system. The findings suggest that Ryugu originated from a parent asteroid formed in the outer solar nebula.
SourceGoethe University Frankfurt·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 22, 2022
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.
Julie Castillo-Rogez and Martin Jutzi have made significant contributions to understanding asteroids, including their origins and dynamical evolution. Their work has advanced our knowledge of asteroids, from small bodies to planetary scales, with implications for ongoing space missions.
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have proposed a novel origin for Jupiter-like planets around massive stars. Massive stars can capture or steal planets from other stars in densely populated stellar nurseries, a process known as a 'planetary heist'.
SourceUniversity of Sheffield·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeObservational study·DateSep 5, 2022
Asteroids like Bennu and Ryugu appear rough due to the loss of fine-grained regolith caused by tiny space dust grains hopping around on their surfaces. This process may help small asteroids migrate faster through space, affecting their orbits.
SourceUniversity of Colorado at Boulder·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJul 11, 2022
A new theory offers an explanation for the formation and evolution of gas giants in our solar system, proposing that a 'rebound' effect triggered their current paths. Researchers found that the primordial gas disk dissipated from the inside out, providing a natural trigger for the instability.
SourceMichigan State University·JournalNature·DateApr 27, 2022
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Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.
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.
SourceFaculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon·JournalAtmosphere·DateApr 1, 2022
Researchers suggest that asteroid Ryugu could be a relic of an ancient comet due to its high organic content and spinning top shape. The study proposes a simple physical model that fits the observed data, suggesting that comets can leave behind rocky debris in the inner solar system.
SourceNagoya City University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMar 21, 2022
Researchers found that passing stars, misaligned binary stars, and passing gas clouds can warp protoplanetary discs, disrupting spiral structures. This warping heats up the disc, making it harder for planets to form via gravitational instability.
SourceUniversity of Warwick·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateFeb 3, 2022
Researchers use ALMA and VLA to detect chaotic dust and gas streams caused by an intruder object interacting with the binary protostar. The study provides evidence of flyby events in nature, which can dramatically perturb circumstellar disks and impact planet formation.
SourceNational Radio Astronomy Observatory·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJan 13, 2022
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.
A new study by Rice University astrophysicist André Izidoro suggests that the sun had rings before planets formed, explaining many solar system features. The model simulates the solar system's formation hundreds of times and reproduces several features missed by previous models, including pressure bumps and rings.
SourceRice University·JournalNature Astronomy·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 5, 2022
Researchers have uncovered the truth behind the missing volatiles in meteorites, revealing a massive shockwave phenomenon that stripped elements from planetary building blocks. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of Earth's geochemical evolution and the Solar System's youth.
SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 22, 2021
Scientists have made new discoveries about the early solar system using meteorite glass beads. By analyzing the isotopic compositions of elements in these beads, researchers were able to determine that massive shockwaves passing through the nebula caused the extreme heating and cooling necessary for chondrule formation.
SourceUniversity of Chicago·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 1, 2021
GoPro HERO13 Black
GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.
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.
SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalScience Advances·DateOct 15, 2021
A doctoral student is launching a project to quadruple the number of known active asteroids by engaging volunteers in the search. The Active Asteroids project, supported by NASA and NSF grants, aims to classify over 10 million asteroid images in the Southern Hemisphere.
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.
SourceHokkaido University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 11, 2021
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.
A new three-year project funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation is integrating science from paleoclimatology, geophysics, and astronomy to study the evolution of the Solar System and Earth-Moon dynamics. The CycloAstro Project will also investigate the Earth's paleoclimate system and improve cyclostratigraphy and astrochronology.
A lunar sample from the Apollo 17 mission has been analysed to determine its age, source crater and geological trajectory. The study suggests the sample is around 4.2 billion years old, providing a valuable reference point for understanding the Moon's early evolution and Earth's origins.
A Southwest Research Institute scientist has updated Mars chronology models to suggest that terrains shaped by ancient water activity on the planet's surface may be hundreds of millions of years older than previously thought. The new model also provides a revised age for Isidis Basin, now estimated to be 4-4.2 billion years old.
SourceSouthwest Research Institute·JournalThe Astronomical Journal·DateFeb 10, 2021
Astronomers have detected fast-moving carbon monoxide gas flowing away from a young, low-mass star, which may provide insight into how our own solar system evolved. The gas is thought to be produced from icy comets being vaporised in the star's asteroid belt.
AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope
AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.
Researchers at Hiroshima University have challenged a long-held timeline for cataclysmic events in the early solar system. The study suggests that the late heavy bombardment period started earlier and decreased in intensity over time.
SourceHiroshima University·JournalEarth and Planetary Science Letters·DateSep 24, 2020
Researchers mapped aluminum monoxide around a distant young star, clarifying details about our solar system's formation. The findings suggest that AlO gas rapidly condenses into solid grains, similar to calcium and aluminum-rich inclusions found in asteroids.
SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateMay 10, 2019
Astronomer Jason Nordhaus develops a system of complex algorithms to pinpoint existence of previously undiscovered planets and celestial bodies in dying star systems. The technique helps understand the fate of our solar system, other star systems, and stellar interactions.
Astrophysicists estimate that Centaurs will have close encounters and impacts with terrestrial planets, potentially producing catastrophic events. The researchers found that half of the Centaurs can enter the terrestrial planet region, and about 7% can interact with them.
SourceUniversity of Vienna·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateOct 8, 2018
Researchers at Far Eastern Federal University are working on a new method to determine the ratio of dust and gas in comets' tails and heads. This will help scientists better understand the Solar System's evolution and formation.
SourceFar Eastern Federal University·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateAug 8, 2018
Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars
Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.
Meteorite chondrules reveal that oxygen and volatile elements increased in the inner Solar System until around 4.567 billion years ago. Volatile element delivery continued to increase after this point, supporting a model of Mars' early formation under oxidizing conditions and Earth's accretion under reducing conditions.
SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 6, 2018
A University of Oklahoma astrophysics team discovered that the growth of Mars was halted by an orbital instability among the outer solar system's giant planets. The study used computer simulations to show how this instability, linked to the Nice Model, prevented Mars from becoming a larger, habitable planet like Earth.
SourceUniversity of Oklahoma·JournalIcarus·DateMay 4, 2018
A study by Brown University researchers maps the mineralogy of the South Pole-Aitken basin, a giant impact crater on the Moon's far side. The research identified four distinct mineralogical regions within and around the basin, providing insights for future lunar exploration and landing site selection.
Researchers aim to understand the evolution of our solar system by studying 'hot Jupiters', gas giants orbiting close to their parent stars. They will measure escaping gases and look for evidence of magnetic fields on these planets.
Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter
Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.
Researchers found organics on Ceres are likely native, contradicting earlier theories of delivery via comets or asteroids. The discovery suggests a complex chemical evolution and important astrobiological implications for the solar system.
A team led by Dr. Bill Bottke from Southwest Research Institute discovered a 400-million-year lull in Mars' giant impact history, closely paralleling the bombardment histories of the Moon, asteroid belt, and Mercury. This finding supports the Late Heavy Bombardment theory and highlights an important period in Martian evolution.
SourceSouthwest Research Institute·JournalNature Geoscience·DateApr 25, 2017
Researchers observed L2 Puppis, a star similar to the Sun 5 billion years ago, to understand its evolution and potential impact on planets. A planet orbiting the giant star may offer clues about Earth's ultimate fate.
SourceKU Leuven·JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics·DateDec 8, 2016
Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C)
Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C) keeps Macs, tablets, and meters powered during extended observing runs and remote surveys.
A new simulation study suggests that Jupiter's most important role in fostering life on Earth was delivering volatile materials from the outer Solar System. The study also proposes that a Solar System with one or more planets similar to Jupiter located beyond the region of potential terrestrial planets is beneficial for life development.
SourceMary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News·JournalAstrobiology·DateFeb 3, 2016
Researchers at the University of York have revealed a new understanding of nucleosynthesis in stars, providing insight into massive star evolution and the origins of the Solar System. By studying radioactive aluminium production, scientists can now better understand gamma radiation maps of the galaxy and simulate star behavior.
SourceUniversity of York·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJul 29, 2015
Researchers from CSIC have determined the orbit of Annama, a new characterized meteorite, and found similarities with a potentially dangerous asteroid. The study suggests that Annama may be linked to an asteroid of about 400 meters in diameter, posing a potential threat to Earth.
SourceSpanish National Research Council (CSIC)·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateApr 8, 2015
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.
A team of scientists found that collisions helped transform initially porous materials into solid asteroids and meteorites by absorbing energy in the porous matrix. This process likely occurred due to electrostatics and shock waves generated by high-velocity collisions, resulting in a cosmic speed limit for colliding objects.
SourceUniversity of Chicago·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 16, 2015
A University of New Hampshire and NASA study suggests that high-energy particles from solar storms can charge the moon's polar soil, creating sparking and potentially altering its composition. This process could have significant implications for our understanding of planetary surfaces in extremely cold regions.
Researchers propose that high-energy particles from solar storms can create sparking, altering the moon's polar soil and potentially reactivating permanently shadowed regions. This 'breakdown weathering' process could change our understanding of planetary evolution in extremely cold regions.
Researchers have created a new spectrum for 'hot' methane that can be used to detect the molecule at temperatures above Earth's, potentially identifying signs of extraterrestrial life. The model has been tested and verified by reproducing the way in which methane absorbs light on failed stars.
SourceUniversity College London·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 16, 2014
Scientists have developed a new numerical method for simulating the evolution of the solar system, which is ten times faster and more accurate than previous methods. The collaboration between mathematicians, computer scientists, physicists, and astronomers has led to a significant improvement in the simulation's reliability over time.
SourceElhuyar Fundazioa·JournalApplied Numerical Mathematics·DateApr 11, 2013
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.
A UH Mānoa team led by Ralf Kaiser discovered triacetylene formation in Titan's atmosphere through simulation experiments and theoretical calculations. This finding sheds light on the origin and chemical evolution of Saturn's moon, which may serve as a building block for more complex polyynes.
SourceUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 14, 2009
Nikolai Pogorelov, a UC Riverside researcher, has been awarded 850,000 processor hours on the seventh fastest computer in the world to study the outer heliosphere and its interaction with interstellar medium. The research will help plan future space missions and analyze fluxes of galactic cosmic rays.
Researchers have identified two distinct formation times for chondrules in the Gujba and Hammadah al Hamra meteorites, contradicting the linear process of solar system evolution. The discovery suggests that giant plumes of vapor produced by planetary collisions may have formed these chondrules much later than previously thought.
A new study finds that NASA's Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) can detect habitable planets near significantly more massive stars than the sun. The satellite will use interferometry to measure the position of stars and detect tiny wobbles caused by orbiting planets.
SourceOhio State University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateAug 1, 2003
Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)
Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only) delivers reliable low-light performance and rugged build for astrophotography, lab documentation, and field expeditions.
New Hubble images show gas shells produced by novae that may revolutionize our understanding of galactic evolution. The findings imply that novae play a significant role in the distribution of heavier elements and planetary system development, contradicting previous predictions.
Astronomers have found similarities between the composition of Comet Hale-Bopp and what appear to be similar-sized comets in other solar systems. The team used infrared observations of evolving solar systems to identify patterns in star-grazing comets, suggesting a common origin for planets.
Astrophysicists at MIT propose that newly discovered planets in Jupiter-sized systems underwent violent instability upon formation. This instability can lead to the ejection of one planet and a smaller, eccentric orbit for another, with potential consequences for planetary system evolution and intelligent life.
SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·DateNov 8, 1996