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Young Exoplanet Spotted Shedding Atmosphere Under Stellar Radiation
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope have captured a dramatic cosmic event: a baby exoplanet, TOI 1227 b, is being stripped of its atmosphere by powerful X-rays from its host star. Only 8 million years old and orbiting a red dwarf, this Jupiter-sized planet is losing gas at a rate equal to Earth’s entire atmosphere every ...
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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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Meteorite From Outer Solar System Challenges Planet Formation Timeline in Early Solar System
A meteorite from the outer solar system may upend long-held beliefs about planetary formation. New research shows rocky planets like Earth may have formed at the same time as those beyond Jupiter. The findings challenge previous models and suggest a more synchronised origin for rocky worlds across the solar system, with major implications for plane...
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Oldest Rock On Earth Confirmed To Be Over 4 Billion Years Old
Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago, during the geological eon known as the Hadean. The name "Hadean" comes from the Greek god of the underworld, reflecting the extreme heat that likely characterized the planet at the time.
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New Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Speeds Through Solar System
Astronomers have identified 3I/ATLAS as the third confirmed interstellar comet, racing through the solar system at 68 km/s. Discovered on July 1, it will pass near the sun in October. Skywatchers can view this rare object live online tonight, thanks to a live stream by the Virtual Telescope Project using observatories in Italy.
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Astronomers Discover Baby Planets Taking Their First Steps in Nearby Stellar Nursery
Astronomers have detected early signs of planet formation in 27 young protoplanetary disks within the Ophiuchus star-forming region, just 460 light-years away. High-resolution imaging revealed spiral and ring patterns forming earlier than expected, suggesting stars and planets may grow together from infancy. The findings bridge a knowledge gap betw...
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James Webb Telescope Captures First Direct Image of Saturn-Mass Exoplanet
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has reached a major milestone by capturing its first direct image of TWA 7 b, a newly discovered Saturn-mass exoplanet orbiting the young star TWA 7. Using a coronagraph to block starlight, Webb identified the planet embedded in the star’s dusty ring system. TWA 7 b is the smallest exoplanet ever imaged dir...
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Hubble Finds Cosmic Dust Coating Uranus’ Moons, Not Radiation Scars
New Hubble Space Telescope observations have upended decades of expectations about Uranus’ moons. Scientists once thought the planet’s magnetic field darkened their backsides with radiation, but the latest data shows Titania and Oberon are collecting space dust on their leading sides instead. This “cosmic bug splatter” effect suggests dust ...
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Discovery Of Small Star Giving Birth To Huge Planet Leaves Scientists Puzzled
TOI-6894 is roughly 240 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo and is the smallest-known star to host a large planet.
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New Dwarf Planet Discovery Challenges Planet Nine Hypothesis
The discovery of a potential dwarf planet, 2017 OF201, in the farthest reaches of the solar system is reshaping our understanding of space. With a highly elongated orbit and large size, it contradicts the Planet Nine hypothesis, which predicted orbital clustering among distant objects. This finding not only questions the existence of a ninth planet...
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Strange Planet Confirmed in Binary Star System Nu Octantis
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a massive planet in the Nu Octantis binary star system, first suspected in 2004. Using advanced tools like the HARPS spectrograph, researchers found that the planet orbits in the opposite direction of one of the stars—a retrograde motion that keeps the system stable. The discovery of a white dwarf in th...
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New Dwarf Planet Discovered Beyond Pluto, Hinting At Hidden 'Planet X'
The discovery of 2017 OF201 is significant, as it challenges the hypothesis of Planet Nine, a hypothetical planet thought to exist in the outer Solar System.
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A Secret Ocean Could Change Everything We Know About Mars
Evidence is mounting that a secret lies beneath the dusty red plains of Mars, one that could redefine our view of the Red Planet: a vast reservoir of liquid water, locked deep in the crust.
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New Study Reveals How Jupiter’s Storms Hide Ammonia
A new study reveals Jupiter’s monster storms create mushballs—giant hailstones made of ammonia and water. This discovery explains the puzzling absence of ammonia in the planet’s upper atmosphere and suggests similar processes might be happening on gas giants across the universe.
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Young Exoplanet Spotted Shedding Atmosphere Under Stellar Radiation
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope have captured a dramatic cosmic event: a baby exoplanet, TOI 1227 b, is being stripped of its atmosphere by powerful X-rays from its host star. Only 8 million years old and orbiting a red dwarf, this Jupiter-sized planet is losing gas at a rate equal to Earth’s entire atmosphere every ...
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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.
-
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...
-
Meteorite From Outer Solar System Challenges Planet Formation Timeline in Early Solar System
A meteorite from the outer solar system may upend long-held beliefs about planetary formation. New research shows rocky planets like Earth may have formed at the same time as those beyond Jupiter. The findings challenge previous models and suggest a more synchronised origin for rocky worlds across the solar system, with major implications for plane...
-
Oldest Rock On Earth Confirmed To Be Over 4 Billion Years Old
Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago, during the geological eon known as the Hadean. The name "Hadean" comes from the Greek god of the underworld, reflecting the extreme heat that likely characterized the planet at the time.
-
New Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Speeds Through Solar System
Astronomers have identified 3I/ATLAS as the third confirmed interstellar comet, racing through the solar system at 68 km/s. Discovered on July 1, it will pass near the sun in October. Skywatchers can view this rare object live online tonight, thanks to a live stream by the Virtual Telescope Project using observatories in Italy.
-
Astronomers Discover Baby Planets Taking Their First Steps in Nearby Stellar Nursery
Astronomers have detected early signs of planet formation in 27 young protoplanetary disks within the Ophiuchus star-forming region, just 460 light-years away. High-resolution imaging revealed spiral and ring patterns forming earlier than expected, suggesting stars and planets may grow together from infancy. The findings bridge a knowledge gap betw...
-
James Webb Telescope Captures First Direct Image of Saturn-Mass Exoplanet
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has reached a major milestone by capturing its first direct image of TWA 7 b, a newly discovered Saturn-mass exoplanet orbiting the young star TWA 7. Using a coronagraph to block starlight, Webb identified the planet embedded in the star’s dusty ring system. TWA 7 b is the smallest exoplanet ever imaged dir...
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Hubble Finds Cosmic Dust Coating Uranus’ Moons, Not Radiation Scars
New Hubble Space Telescope observations have upended decades of expectations about Uranus’ moons. Scientists once thought the planet’s magnetic field darkened their backsides with radiation, but the latest data shows Titania and Oberon are collecting space dust on their leading sides instead. This “cosmic bug splatter” effect suggests dust ...
-
Discovery Of Small Star Giving Birth To Huge Planet Leaves Scientists Puzzled
TOI-6894 is roughly 240 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo and is the smallest-known star to host a large planet.
-
New Dwarf Planet Discovery Challenges Planet Nine Hypothesis
The discovery of a potential dwarf planet, 2017 OF201, in the farthest reaches of the solar system is reshaping our understanding of space. With a highly elongated orbit and large size, it contradicts the Planet Nine hypothesis, which predicted orbital clustering among distant objects. This finding not only questions the existence of a ninth planet...
-
Strange Planet Confirmed in Binary Star System Nu Octantis
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a massive planet in the Nu Octantis binary star system, first suspected in 2004. Using advanced tools like the HARPS spectrograph, researchers found that the planet orbits in the opposite direction of one of the stars—a retrograde motion that keeps the system stable. The discovery of a white dwarf in th...
-
New Dwarf Planet Discovered Beyond Pluto, Hinting At Hidden 'Planet X'
The discovery of 2017 OF201 is significant, as it challenges the hypothesis of Planet Nine, a hypothetical planet thought to exist in the outer Solar System.
-
A Secret Ocean Could Change Everything We Know About Mars
Evidence is mounting that a secret lies beneath the dusty red plains of Mars, one that could redefine our view of the Red Planet: a vast reservoir of liquid water, locked deep in the crust.
-
New Study Reveals How Jupiter’s Storms Hide Ammonia
A new study reveals Jupiter’s monster storms create mushballs—giant hailstones made of ammonia and water. This discovery explains the puzzling absence of ammonia in the planet’s upper atmosphere and suggests similar processes might be happening on gas giants across the universe.
