Articles tagged with Solar System Formation
A study of comet motions reveals a second alignment plane in our solar system, dubbed the 'empty ecliptic.' The newly discovered plane is where comets' farthest points (aphelia) tend to converge, challenging models of Solar System formation. Long-period comets' orbits show two peaks near the well-known ecliptic and empty ecliptic planes.
Researchers found micrometer-sized and nanometer-sized diamonds, along with metallic iron and graphite, in ureilite meteorites. The discovery suggests that diamond formation does not require a Mars-sized parent body, contradicting previous theories.
A WPI mathematician has confirmed a 224-year-old conjecture on the formation of solar systems using mathematical equations, revealing that ring emergence is crucial for creation. This research also has implications for climate change and humanity's place in the universe.
A new study of rare meteorites shows that material from close to the Sun reached the outer solar system even after Jupiter cleared a gap in the disk of dust and gas. This finding challenges the long-held consensus theory on planet formation and provides insights into how planets form around other stars.
A study of meteorites formed in the outer Solar System finds a mix of materials from inner and outer systems, suggesting Jupiter's formation may have trapped dust. The discovery could indicate that material transport between inner and outer systems was halted by Jupiter's formation.
Researchers found that enstatite chondrite meteorites contain sufficient hydrogen to deliver at least three times the amount of water in the Earth's oceans and probably much more. These rare meteorites, composed of material from the inner solar system, are believed to be the building blocks of the planet.
New study finds enstatite chondrite meteorites contain sufficient hydrogen to deliver at least three times the mass of Earth's oceans, contradicting assumptions that the planet is dry. The findings support the idea that Earth's water originated from the nebular material from which the planet accreted.
Researchers reanalyzed image data from Voyager 1, 2 and Galileo spacecraft to investigate orientation and distribution of ancient tectonic troughs on Ganymede. A computer simulation suggests that the giant crater could have resulted from an asteroid impact with a radius of 150km.
A scientific team has successfully simulated the formation of pallasites, a type of stony-iron meteorite, on an experimental basis. The experiments confirmed that both partial separation of core and mantle, and subsequent impact of another celestial body, are required for their formation.
Scientists at São Paulo State University identify 19 Centaurs of interstellar origin with highly inclined orbits, suggesting they formed around other stars and were later captured by the Solar System. This discovery sheds light on the formation of the Solar System and the chemical enrichment of the Sun.
Scientists have discovered an exoplanet with an exposed core, similar in size to Neptune, orbiting a star about 730 light years away. The researchers believe the planet may be a gas giant that lost its atmosphere or failed to form one due to special circumstances.
Researchers successfully measured the spin-orbit alignment for the first time in a directly-imaged planetary system. The study reveals that the Beta Pictoris system is as well-aligned as our own solar system, favoring planet-planet scattering as the cause of orbit obliquities.
Astronomers have discovered a Neptune-sized planet, AU Mic b, orbiting a young and nearby star, AU Microscopii. The discovery provides an opportunity to study the early days of planetary formation and migration in a solar system's early stages.
Astronomers have created the most detailed evolutionary history of the Milky Way up to now, combining apparent luminosity with measured distance and accurate star models. The study reveals well-defined periods of great activity in star formation, including dramatic episodes that stimulated new star creation.
Researchers used atom-probe tomography to study minerals from an asteroid over 4.5 billion years ago, discovering water precipitates that suggest the presence of sodium-rich fluids. These conditions are ideal for amino acid synthesis, potentially supporting microbial life formation as early as 4.5 billion years ago.
Astronomers discovered unusually high levels of carbon monoxide in the gas emitted by comet 2I/Borisov, which likely formed in an extremely cold environment. The comet's composition may indicate a different formation process than solar system comets, shedding light on the birthplace of another planetary system.
Scientists identify two meteorites containing minerals with superconducting properties, shedding light on the potential for natural superconductivity in space. The discovery could help explain the formation of magnetic fields in celestial objects.
A study by Brazilian researchers suggests the Solar System took shape in its current form between 10-60 million years after its formation. The model, supported by São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP, reveals a chaotic phase that placed objects in their current orbits within the first 100 million years.
A team of astronomers has captured detailed radio maps of three nearby interstellar gas clouds, including the Orion A region. The maps reveal details as small as 60 times the size of our Solar System and will help improve our understanding of high-mass star formation.
Researchers found that the proto-Earth formed within five million years, challenging the idea of slow and random collisions between objects. The study's findings support an alternative theory on planet formation through cosmic dust accretion, which may lead to faster formation of other planets.
Scientists using ALMA detected chemical signatures of acetonitrile and its rare isotopomer in Titan's stratosphere, indicating the presence of galactic cosmic rays. The findings suggest a universal process that could influence atmospheres on other solar system bodies.
Three studies provide new insights into the composition and origin of Arrokoth. The object's binary lobes were likely formed in a local collapse cloud, with an ancient age of about 4 billion years. Its surface is uniformly red, cold, and covered with methanol ice and complex organic molecules.
Scientists modeled early impact events on Mars, revealing a heterogeneous mantle and challenging previous estimates of the planet's formation time. The new research provides insight into the Red Planet's evolution and composition.
Scientists discovered stardust formed 5 to 7 billion years ago, the oldest solid material ever found on Earth. The presolar grains, trapped in meteorites, reveal a 'baby boom' of enhanced star formation 7 billion years ago.
Researchers used neon isotopes to date silicon carbide grains in the Murchison CM2 meteorite, finding 60% with ages under 300 million years. Grains over 1 billion years old suggest shielded survival through supernova shockwaves.
Researchers suggest a ring-like structure in the early solar system may have created a compositional dichotomy between terrestrial and jovian planets. This division may have led to the presence of organic molecules on Earth, supporting life.
The Institute for Advanced Study has been awarded a $1 million grant from Schmidt Futures to leverage advances in high-performance computing and deepen our understanding of cosmic phenomena, including neutron star mergers, star formation, and galaxy dynamics. The project aims to develop new numerical methods and tools to address challe...
The study found that while water vapour is common in exoplanet atmospheres, its amounts are surprisingly lower than expected. The results also suggest a depletion of oxygen relative to other elements and provide clues into how these exoplanets may have formed without substantial accretion of ice.
The German Research Foundation funds a joint Collaborative Research Center between Freie Universität Berlin and Münster University to investigate the formation of terrestrial planets. The center aims to ascertain conditions necessary for life-sustaining planets like Earth and develop a comprehensive model by 2023.
Researchers found that the transition between ice and water breaks down at the nanoscale, with clusters oscillating between solid and liquid states. The study provides new insights into the conditions necessary for ice formation and has implications for understanding climate regulation and life viability.
Researchers detected uniform chemical signatures in kimberlites that resemble the building blocks of Earth formed 4.55 billion years ago. The discovery provides critical insight into the planet's formation and evolution.
Scientists at Hokkaido University detected nucleobases in a simulated interstellar cloud environment, essential building blocks of DNA. The findings suggest that the processes could lead to the formation of molecular precursors of life.
The authors argue that space agencies should prioritize field geology training for all astronauts, including those with advanced degrees in geology. Developing new science operations strategies using emerging technologies will optimize mission productivity and unlock the full potential of scientific research on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Images taken by Hayabusa2's lander on Ryugu's surface show rocks bearing similarities to primitive meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites, supporting theories that the asteroid formed during a cataclysmic event. The findings also reveal an unusual lack of fine particles or dust on the surface.
Scientists have recalculated the Moon's age to approximately 50 million years after solar system formation, based on hafnium-tungsten systematics from Apollo samples. This new estimate significantly differs from earlier research findings and sheds light on planetary evolution.
The Apollo 11 lunar landing has left a lasting legacy in planetary science, providing insights into the Moon's formation and geology. Recent lunar exploration missions, such as China's Chang'E-4 program, continue to advance our understanding of the Moon and its potential for future human exploration.
Astronomers observed a massive protostar's gaseous disk for the first time, finding it shares common features with lighter baby stars. The discovery suggests that star formation is the same process, regardless of final mass.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team studied the orientation of distant solar system bodies in binary pairs, providing insights into planet formation. Most Kuiper Belt objects (80%) orbit in a prograde direction, contradicting theories on binary formation and supporting the streaming instability hypothesis.
Scientists from Tokyo Institute of Technology used computer simulations and observations of trans-Neptunian objects to understand how they may have formed. The study found that the size and orbit of satellite systems around large TNOs are best explained by impacts of molten progenitors.
Researchers found that Mimas' migration into the Cassini Division pushed apart ice particles, creating the 4500 km wide band. The moon's orbit may have been driven by orbital resonance with Saturn, causing it to lose energy and migrate inwards.
Scientists uncover precise timing of a large-scale collision on Vesta, explaining its lopsided shape and differentiation into crust, mantle, and metallic core. The study provides a confident framework for understanding Vesta's geological timeline, shedding light on protoplanet formation and the early Solar System.
Researchers from the University of Münster find that the Moon's collision with Earth brought large quantities of water, essential for life. The discovery sheds light on the Moon's origin and its role in making Earth a habitable planet.
Scientists use deuterium ions to create water on lunar samples, suggesting micrometeorite impacts can generate and liberate water. The results provide insight into potential water formation mechanisms on the moon and other airless bodies in the Solar System.
The New Horizons spacecraft has revealed a distant Kuiper Belt Object (MU69) as an ancient, untouched relic from the early solar system. The object's flattened bi-lobate shape and discrete geological units indicate a history of gentle collisions.
Researchers discovered aluminum oxide around a young massive protostar using ALMA data, providing insights into the early formation of meteorites and planets. The detection suggests that aluminum-rich dust can form in hot regions close to the star and later condense into solid particles.
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.
Astronomers discover that a violent neutron star collision near the solar system created 0.3% of Earth's heaviest elements, such as gold and platinum, 4.6 billion years ago. This cosmic event is believed to have occurred in our neighborhood, about 1000 light years from the cradle of Earth.
A study of a tiny grain of stardust older than our solar system has provided new insights into planetary system formation. The presolar graphite grain contained oxygen-rich silicates, contradicting the scientific hypothesis on two types of stardust material.
A team of researchers discovered a grain of dust forged in a stellar explosion, challenging current theories about how stars seed the universe. The grain, LAP-149, is highly enriched in carbon-13, providing evidence that novae contributed to the building blocks of our solar system.
A tiny piece of a comet has been discovered inside a primitive meteorite, providing insights into the solar system's structure and evolution. The finding is significant as it reveals details about how our solar system took shape during its early stages.
A team of researchers discovered a primitive class of meteorite containing a slice of carbon-rich material similar to extraterrestrial dust particles thought to have originated in comets near the outer edges of the Solar System. This finding provides insights into the Solar System's architecture and formation.
SwRI leads largest-ever Hubble survey of the Kuiper Belt, focusing on binary populations and testing planetesimal formation theories. The Solar System Origins Legacy Survey aims to understand solar system architecture and planetary evolution.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team discovered evidence of abundant water-bearing minerals on the surface of asteroid Bennu using OSIRIS-REx spectral data. The findings are consistent with meteorites found on Earth and provide clues to the distribution and abundance of water in the early solar system.
Researchers have spotted two rings of dust around a young star, suggesting the formation of a planetary system similar to our own. The observations provide clear answers to previous models, with one ring at the asteroid belt location and the other at the Neptune orbit.
Researchers mapped scars on Pluto and Charon to determine size distribution of small Kuiper belt objects, revealing a lack of craters smaller than 13 km in diameter. This finding suggests that constituent objects may have survived intact since the Solar System's earliest days.
Computer simulations of planet formation suggest that the presence of radioactive elements from a massive star may have created a wet system on Earth, while also forming ocean worlds in other systems. Researchers found that without these elements, the inner terrestrial planets of our solar system could be very dry and hostile.
Researchers have visualized meteorite components at unprecedented resolution using atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy. This breakthrough enables the analysis of organic matter distributions and associations with minerals in carbonaceous chondrites, crucial for understanding the formation of life and Solar System history.
A University of Oklahoma astrophysicist is using a new algorithm to model the early stages of planetary system formation and the impact of nearby stars on planets in binary systems. This research will be integrated into Oklahoma classrooms through the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.
Scientists have discovered a 1.3 km radius body beyond Neptune's orbit, revealing more about the planet formation process. The detection supports models where planetesimals grow slowly into kilometer-sized objects before merging to form planets.
The MIRC-X camera allows astronomers to study the inner regions of planet-forming disks, gaining insights into the formation of rocky planets. Scientists can now explore previously inaccessible areas of young stars and gain new understanding of the solar system's early stages.