Articles tagged with Solar System Formation
Astronomers have discovered a new planet, 2003 UB313, which is larger than Pluto and located in the Kuiper Belt. The object's size was determined through thermal emission measurements, revealing a diameter of approximately 3000 km.
A UW astronomer has successfully collected a record-breaking amount of cosmic dust from comet Wild 2, which dates back to the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. The aerogel collector, which greatly reduced impact stress on particles, revealed tracks of larger particles visible from several feet away.
A team of astronomers from MIT and Williams College observed the light from a star as it disappeared behind Charon and reappeared on the other side. They determined Charon's radius to be 606 ± 8 km, roughly twice the width of Massachusetts, and established a density of 1.72 g/cm3.
Researchers at Carnegie Institution found that Earth's mantle separated into chemically distinct layers faster and earlier than previously believed. The layering happened within 30 million years of the solar system's formation, revising the standard model of the geochemical evolution of the Earth.
Researchers analyzed 29 chunks of enstatite chondrite meteorites, which formed billions of years ago and are believed to hold clues about the early Earth's conditions. The study found that these rocks likely formed at lower temperatures than previously thought, shedding light on the planet's distant past.
Researchers discovered an isotopic anomaly in osmium from a primitive meteorite, shedding light on the star types that contributed elements to the solar system. The findings challenge previous theories of incomplete mixing of different dust sources and instead suggest presolar stardust may have survived and preserved its signature.
Researchers at Imperial College London analysed primitive meteorites, coal-like rocks older than the Earth, and found they are depleted of volatile elements. This suggests 'volatile depletion' may be an inevitable part of planet formation across many planetary systems.
Astronomers have found two young stars with 'gaps' in their disks that resemble the gaps between Jupiter and Uranus in our solar system. The discovery challenges existing theories of giant-planet formation and provides a unique window into how our own solar system came to be.
The discovery provides the first conclusive evidence that a 'protosun' played a major role in chemically shaping the solar system by emitting ultraviolet energy. The team used a technique to reveal details about the Earth's early atmosphere from variations in oxygen and sulfur isotopes, indicating the presence of photochemical reactions.
A Penn-led team has launched a balloon-borne telescope, BLAST, to survey the universe for faint stellar objects and gain insights into the formation of stars and galaxies. The telescope will capture light at three wavelengths, allowing astronomers to determine an object's distance and luminosity.
Researchers have refined the estimated lifetime of the solar nebula to roughly 2 million years, based on analysis of chondrules and Calcium Aluminum-rich inclusions found in the Allende meteorite. This finding suggests that oxygen was evolving rapidly during this period.
Scientists at PNNL discovered that micron-wide dust particles encrusted with molecularly gluey ice enabled planets to bulk up quickly enough to overcome solar winds. Fluffy ice provided a cushioning effect, allowing icy grains to stick together and grow into large lumps.
Scientists have long puzzled over the origin of chondrules, glassy particles found in meteorites that formed in the solar nebula. New calculations suggest that spiral arms in the disk surrounding Jupiter may have generated shock waves that melted dust clumps to form these particles.
A Chinese-American team of scientists has discovered a rare isotope, sulfur-36, associated with sodalite in a meteorite. The finding provides strong evidence for the past presence of chlorine-36 in the early solar system, which was likely formed in a supernova explosion.
A nuclear-powered space mission to Neptune, expected to launch between 2016 and 2018, aims to gather data on the planet's atmosphere and its largest moon Triton. The mission will employ electrical and optical sensors to study Neptune's atmospheric elemental ratios, gravity, and magnetic fields.
Astronomers used computer simulations to predict that a close encounter between our Sun and another star in the Milky Way galaxy could have given us our solar system's edge and put small, alien worlds into distant orbits. The study found potential locations where captured objects from other solar systems might be found.
Researchers used VLT interferometer observations to study infrared spectra of dusty discs around three young stars, finding abundant crystalline silicate grains and processed dust near the star. This suggests that building blocks for Earth-like planets are present in circumstellar discs from the start.
Researchers use meteorite composition to test theories on solar system formation, shedding light on the sun's oxygen makeup. The Genesis spacecraft collected particles blown out from the sun, providing new insights into local variations in oxygen isotopes.
Researchers analyzed tiny meteorite grains to determine the formation of aluminum oxide in AGB stars. The study found that both crystalline and amorphous forms are produced, clarifying observations and refining condensation modeling.
Comet composition can be studied for the first time using a new technique, providing insights into the early solar system. Carbon disulfide has been detected in comet 122P/De Vico, with implications for understanding the origins of life.
Astronomers have discovered over 300 newly forming stars in a distant nebula, creating ideal conditions for the formation of new solar systems. The sheer number of objects is astounding, and may force us to rewrite our ideas of star formation and how much of it is going on in the Milky Way.
A new theory suggests that the Sun and Solar System formed in a turbulent environment, with massive stars influencing the development of planets. This vision could have profound implications for understanding planetary formation and life's origins.
A team of astronomers at Penn State used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope to detect a cometlike body falling onto a massive, very young star. The infall, which occurred about 3200 years ago, provided dramatic spectral variations in the star's light. This discovery sheds light on planetary formation and the evolution of massive star systems.
Researchers found that heating and cooling alone can create spiral patterns on Mars, contrary to previous theories. The model suggests that differential melting and refreezing cause the spirals' unique shape and spacing.
Researchers have discovered that carbon isotopic compositions in IDPs are different from those on Earth and in other parts of the Solar System, indicating it was formed in molecular clouds before the formation of the Solar System. The findings help understand the Solar System's formation and the origin of organic matter on Earth.
The University of Chicago's dust instrument will help estimate particle collection during the Stardust spacecraft's rendezvous with Comet Wild 2. Scientists expect analysis to provide new insights into solar system formation, while also searching for signs of life on Mars.
Astronomers used Hubble to search for faint Kuiper Belt objects, finding only three small objects in a 15-day period. The discovery suggests that smaller planetesimals may have been shattered into dust by colliding with each other, affecting the number of comets near Earth.
The UCLA Center for Astrobiology will focus on four themes: extrasolar planetary systems, habitability of planets and their satellites, Earth's early environment and life, and evolution of biological complexity. The center aims to detect planets beyond our solar system using new methods and study the factors that control habitability.
The TAOS Project will search for comets by monitoring the brief eclipses of background stars as these objects pass between the telescopes and their light source. This innovative method allows scientists to detect small, faint objects that are too far away to be seen in reflected sunlight.
A new study suggests that Jupiter-like planets form quickly, within hundreds of years, rather than over millions. This contradicts the current standard model of planet formation, which proposes a longer time frame for gas giant planet formation.
Researchers used refined techniques to study minerals from meteorites, revealing a 20-million-year estimate for the Earth's formation. The new figure is based on careful separation of minerals and isolation of radioactive forms of niobium and zirconium.
Researchers found that young stars in Orion exhibit high levels of X-ray flaring, sufficient to explain the production of unusual isotopes locked away in ancient meteorites. This discovery suggests that our Sun may have also formed these isotopes during its baby years.
Researchers found that massive planets can trigger the formation of additional planets through violent processes, leading to a different-looking system. The study suggests an upper limit to planetary growth due to unstable conditions, raising questions about the possibility of habitable Earth-like planets in such environments.
A gamma-ray burst may have melted primordial dust grains, seeding the formation of meteorites and rocky planets like Earth. The theory suggests that only one Sun-like star in a thousand would be close enough to form chondrules.