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James Webb Telescope Discovers Tiny New Moon Orbiting Uranus
A team from the Southwest Research Institute has discovered a tiny new moon orbiting Uranus using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The moon, called S/2025 U1, is just 6 miles (10 kilometers) wide, too small for Voyager 2 to detect during its 1986 flyby. This discovery brings Uranus’s total known moons to 29, with S/2025 U1 orbiting 35,000 mil...
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Mercury Has Shrunk by Several Kilometers Over Billions of Years, Scientists Report
Mercury’s surface reveals it has been shrinking for billions of years due to cooling and faulting. A new study estimates the planet’s radius has contracted by 2.7–5.6 kilometers, offering the most precise figures yet. The findings sharpen understanding of Mercury’s thermal evolution and could help scientists apply the same techniques to tec...
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A New 'Earth' Next Door? Scientists Detect Possible Habitable Planet Around Closest Sun-Like Star
Astronomers using JWST have detected a giant exoplanet in the habitable zone of Alpha Centauri A, our nearest Sun-like star.
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NASA Missions Uncover a Diverse Galaxy of Super-Earths, Raising New Questions About Planetary Evolution
Super-Earths are among the most common planets in the galaxy, yet none exist in our solar system. Larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, they range from ocean-covered worlds to scorched, atmosphere-less rocks. Some orbit within habitable zones, making them prime candidates for life. NASA’s Kepler and TESS missions, along with upcoming telesc...
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James Webb Telescope Detects Potential Gas Giant Exoplanet Just 4 Light-Years Away
Astronomers using JWST have spotted a possible gas giant orbiting Alpha Centauri A, only 4 light-years away. If confirmed, it would be the closest exoplanet to a Sun-like star ever imaged. The discovery could challenge current models of planetary formation in binary systems and open new opportunities for studying nearby worlds.
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Scientists Explore Role of Space Radiation in Powering Alien Microbial Life
A new study proposes that life may exist far from sunlight in a “radiolytic habitable zone” deep beneath the icy surfaces of Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Cosmic rays, which can penetrate rock and ice, break water molecules apart to release hydrogen, oxygen, and energy-rich electrons. These can fuel microbes in subsurface water, much like bacter...
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NASA Data Shows Pluto’s Equator Is Lined with Towering Methane Ice Spires
New research based on New Horizons’ decade-old data has uncovered extensive bladed terrain made of methane ice on Pluto. These towering spires, arranged in spaced-out, parallel rows, are likely shaped by seasonal condensation and sublimation cycles. While the terrain spans over half the planet’s midsection, five times the width of continental U...
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Plastic Pollution Threatens Human Health: Study
Ahead of the UN treaty on plastics, a new report in The Lancet journal on Monday has warned that plastic pollution is an underrecognized threat to the health of both humans and the planet, which must be addressed immediately.
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Mysterious Planet Nine May Still Lurk in the Outer Solar System
Astronomers have long speculated about a hidden planet—Planet Nine—lurking beyond Neptune. First proposed in 2016, the theory explains the strange orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects through the gravitational pull of a massive, unseen world. Caltech researchers remain confident, while others suggest alternatives like debris rings or even a bl...
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New Rogue Planet Discovered in Hubble Data Using Einstein’s Gravity Theory
Astronomers discovered a rogue planet hidden in Hubble’s archival data using gravitational microlensing based on Einstein’s theory. The event, OGLE-2023-BLG-0524, lasted just eight hours and lacked signs of a host star, suggesting the planet might be truly free-floating.
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Algae-Grown Bioplastic Passes Mars Pressure Test, Boosting Hopes for Red Planet Habitats
Scientists have successfully grown algae in bioplastic chambers under Mars-like conditions, marking a step toward sustainable habitats for astronauts. The chambers, made from polylactic acid, supported photosynthesis and stabilized liquid water. This breakthrough suggests self-replicating biomaterials could reduce Earth-based resupply, advancing lo...
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Astronomers Capture Planet Birth Around Baby Sun Outside Solar System
Astronomers have discovered the earliest seeds of rocky planets forming in the gas around a baby sun-like star, providing a precious peek into the dawn of our own solar system.
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Uranus Found Emitting Internal Heat, Reviving Hopes for Flagship NASA Mission
Astronomers have discovered that Uranus emits 12% more heat than it receives from sunlight, contradicting past data from Voyager 2. The internal warmth likely comes from leftover energy in the planet’s core, offering clues to its tilt and interior structure. This unexpected heat has intensified calls for a flagship NASA mission to Uranus. Scienti...
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Crystalline Ice Discovered in Space: New Study Reveals Hidden Order in Cosmic Ice
A groundbreaking study from University College London and the University of Cambridge reveals that water ice in space, long believed to be completely amorphous due to extreme cold, may actually contain up to 25% crystalline structure. Simulations and X-ray diffraction experiments confirm the presence of nanocrystals in so-called low-density amorpho...
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PS Plus Game Catalog Adds Cyberpunk 2077, Abiotic Factor, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and More in July
Sony has announced the games joining PS Plus Game Catalog in July. This month's lineup is led by Cyberpunk 2077. The RPG was added to the service on July 9. Other games joining Game Catalog this month include survival title Abiotic Factor, action-RPG Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, roguelike shooter Risk of Rain 2, construction and management sim Pl...
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James Webb Telescope Discovers Tiny New Moon Orbiting Uranus
A team from the Southwest Research Institute has discovered a tiny new moon orbiting Uranus using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The moon, called S/2025 U1, is just 6 miles (10 kilometers) wide, too small for Voyager 2 to detect during its 1986 flyby. This discovery brings Uranus’s total known moons to 29, with S/2025 U1 orbiting 35,000 mil...
-
Mercury Has Shrunk by Several Kilometers Over Billions of Years, Scientists Report
Mercury’s surface reveals it has been shrinking for billions of years due to cooling and faulting. A new study estimates the planet’s radius has contracted by 2.7–5.6 kilometers, offering the most precise figures yet. The findings sharpen understanding of Mercury’s thermal evolution and could help scientists apply the same techniques to tec...
-
A New 'Earth' Next Door? Scientists Detect Possible Habitable Planet Around Closest Sun-Like Star
Astronomers using JWST have detected a giant exoplanet in the habitable zone of Alpha Centauri A, our nearest Sun-like star.
-
NASA Missions Uncover a Diverse Galaxy of Super-Earths, Raising New Questions About Planetary Evolution
Super-Earths are among the most common planets in the galaxy, yet none exist in our solar system. Larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, they range from ocean-covered worlds to scorched, atmosphere-less rocks. Some orbit within habitable zones, making them prime candidates for life. NASA’s Kepler and TESS missions, along with upcoming telesc...
-
James Webb Telescope Detects Potential Gas Giant Exoplanet Just 4 Light-Years Away
Astronomers using JWST have spotted a possible gas giant orbiting Alpha Centauri A, only 4 light-years away. If confirmed, it would be the closest exoplanet to a Sun-like star ever imaged. The discovery could challenge current models of planetary formation in binary systems and open new opportunities for studying nearby worlds.
-
Scientists Explore Role of Space Radiation in Powering Alien Microbial Life
A new study proposes that life may exist far from sunlight in a “radiolytic habitable zone” deep beneath the icy surfaces of Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Cosmic rays, which can penetrate rock and ice, break water molecules apart to release hydrogen, oxygen, and energy-rich electrons. These can fuel microbes in subsurface water, much like bacter...
-
NASA Data Shows Pluto’s Equator Is Lined with Towering Methane Ice Spires
New research based on New Horizons’ decade-old data has uncovered extensive bladed terrain made of methane ice on Pluto. These towering spires, arranged in spaced-out, parallel rows, are likely shaped by seasonal condensation and sublimation cycles. While the terrain spans over half the planet’s midsection, five times the width of continental U...
-
Plastic Pollution Threatens Human Health: Study
Ahead of the UN treaty on plastics, a new report in The Lancet journal on Monday has warned that plastic pollution is an underrecognized threat to the health of both humans and the planet, which must be addressed immediately.
-
Mysterious Planet Nine May Still Lurk in the Outer Solar System
Astronomers have long speculated about a hidden planet—Planet Nine—lurking beyond Neptune. First proposed in 2016, the theory explains the strange orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects through the gravitational pull of a massive, unseen world. Caltech researchers remain confident, while others suggest alternatives like debris rings or even a bl...
-
New Rogue Planet Discovered in Hubble Data Using Einstein’s Gravity Theory
Astronomers discovered a rogue planet hidden in Hubble’s archival data using gravitational microlensing based on Einstein’s theory. The event, OGLE-2023-BLG-0524, lasted just eight hours and lacked signs of a host star, suggesting the planet might be truly free-floating.
-
Algae-Grown Bioplastic Passes Mars Pressure Test, Boosting Hopes for Red Planet Habitats
Scientists have successfully grown algae in bioplastic chambers under Mars-like conditions, marking a step toward sustainable habitats for astronauts. The chambers, made from polylactic acid, supported photosynthesis and stabilized liquid water. This breakthrough suggests self-replicating biomaterials could reduce Earth-based resupply, advancing lo...
-
Astronomers Capture Planet Birth Around Baby Sun Outside Solar System
Astronomers have discovered the earliest seeds of rocky planets forming in the gas around a baby sun-like star, providing a precious peek into the dawn of our own solar system.
-
Uranus Found Emitting Internal Heat, Reviving Hopes for Flagship NASA Mission
Astronomers have discovered that Uranus emits 12% more heat than it receives from sunlight, contradicting past data from Voyager 2. The internal warmth likely comes from leftover energy in the planet’s core, offering clues to its tilt and interior structure. This unexpected heat has intensified calls for a flagship NASA mission to Uranus. Scienti...
-
Crystalline Ice Discovered in Space: New Study Reveals Hidden Order in Cosmic Ice
A groundbreaking study from University College London and the University of Cambridge reveals that water ice in space, long believed to be completely amorphous due to extreme cold, may actually contain up to 25% crystalline structure. Simulations and X-ray diffraction experiments confirm the presence of nanocrystals in so-called low-density amorpho...
-
PS Plus Game Catalog Adds Cyberpunk 2077, Abiotic Factor, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and More in July
Sony has announced the games joining PS Plus Game Catalog in July. This month's lineup is led by Cyberpunk 2077. The RPG was added to the service on July 9. Other games joining Game Catalog this month include survival title Abiotic Factor, action-RPG Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, roguelike shooter Risk of Rain 2, construction and management sim Pl...
