Planetary Formation
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Rubin Observatory Discovers Fastest-Spinning Large Asteroid Ever Seen
Astronomers using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have discovered asteroid 2025 MN45, the fastest-spinning large asteroid ever recorded. About 710 metres wide, the object completes one full rotation every 1.88 minutes—far quicker than any asteroid of similar size. The finding emerged from an early survey that detected nearly 2,000 new asteroids, in...
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Astronomers Successfully Weigh a Starless ‘Rogue Planet’ Drifting Through the Milky Way
Astronomers have precisely measured the mass of a rogue planet wandering through the Milky Way using a rare gravitational microlensing event. By combining observations from ground-based telescopes across three continents with data from ESA’s Gaia spacecraft, researchers determined the planet’s distance and found it to be about the mass of Satur...
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Hubble Observations Turn Exoplanet Into Dust; Reveal Rare Double Asteroid Impact in Nearby System
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has revealed that a vanished exoplanet near the star Fomalhaut was never a planet at all. Scientists discovered two rare, violent collisions between asteroid-sized bodies, producing glowing debris clouds that briefly mimicked planets. The findings offer a rare glimpse into how planetary systems evolve and how mislead...
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The Most Exciting Exoplanet Discoveries of 2025: Know the Strange Worlds Scientists Have Found
Astronomers marked a milestone year as confirmed exoplanets surpassed 6,000 in 2025. Discoveries ranged from planets orbiting two suns to worlds losing their atmospheres or forming in real time. The findings reshaped ideas about how planets form, survive, and evolve across the Milky Way.
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Shows Rare Wobbling Jets in Sun-Facing Anti-Tail
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reveals rare wobbling jets in its sun-facing anti-tail, stretching over 620,000 miles. Observed from July to September 2025, the jets indicate the comet’s icy core rotates once every 15.5 hours. As only the third interstellar object known, 3I/ATLAS provides unique insights into cometary behaviour and formation in dista...
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Hubble Captures Rare Collision in Nearby Planetary System, Revealing Violent Planet Formation
Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have witnessed rare collisions between rocky bodies in the Fomalhaut system. The glowing debris clouds created by these impacts offer a unique glimpse into how planets form and highlight challenges in identifying true exoplanets.
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New Orbital Clues Reveal How Hot Jupiters Moved Close to Their Stars
Researchers reveal some hot Jupiters drifted inward smoothly through protoplanetary disks, offering clues to planetary system formation and stability.
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New Study Challenges Long-Held Beliefs About Formation Of The Moon
According to researchers, the composition of a planet or celestial body holds the entire story of its formation and origin.
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Planets Could Create Their Own Water While Forming, Expanding Possibilities for Habitable Worlds
Lab experiments show planets can generate water during formation, not just via comets. This suggests habitable conditions may be widespread in the galaxy, expanding possibilities for life-friendly exoplanets.
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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Telescope Challenges Old Theories on Mini-Neptune Worlds
New models suggest mini-Neptunes—planets smaller than Neptune with thick gas envelopes—may have solid rocky surfaces instead of molten magma. Data from NASA’s JWST revealed high-pressure atmospheres capable of compressing molten rock into solid crusts. This discovery challenges earlier assumptions and offers key insights into exoplanet compos...
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Lunar Samples Reveal Far Side of the Moon Is Cooler Than Near Side
China’s Chang’e 6 mission has revealed the moon’s far side is cooler than its near side, with samples showing a 180°F difference in formation temperatures. Researchers suggest uneven distribution of radioactive elements shaped these contrasts, offering the first physical evidence of a deep interior thermal divide in lunar history.
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James Webb Spots Bizarre Planet-Forming Disk Full of Carbon Dioxide
The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted a bizarre planet-forming disk dominated by carbon dioxide where water is almost absent. This rare finding, in star system XUE 10 within NGC 6357, challenges current models of planetary formation and may reshape our understanding of habitable worlds.
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NASA’s InSight Reveals Ancient Planetary Remains Preserved Deep Inside Mars
Scientists using NASA’s InSight lander data have uncovered dozens of dense blobs hidden in Mars’ mantle, possibly remnants of failed protoplanets from the early solar system. Preserved for billions of years, these structures reveal Mars’ mantle evolved sluggishly compared with Earth, offering a unique window into planetary formation and the v...
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Mars' Interior Holds Evidence Of Violent Early History, NASA Scientists Confirm
NASA scientists have discovered massive fragments of ancient planetary collisions buried deep in Mars' mantle, using seismic data from the InSight lander.
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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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Rubin Observatory Discovers Fastest-Spinning Large Asteroid Ever Seen
Astronomers using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have discovered asteroid 2025 MN45, the fastest-spinning large asteroid ever recorded. About 710 metres wide, the object completes one full rotation every 1.88 minutes—far quicker than any asteroid of similar size. The finding emerged from an early survey that detected nearly 2,000 new asteroids, in...
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Astronomers Successfully Weigh a Starless ‘Rogue Planet’ Drifting Through the Milky Way
Astronomers have precisely measured the mass of a rogue planet wandering through the Milky Way using a rare gravitational microlensing event. By combining observations from ground-based telescopes across three continents with data from ESA’s Gaia spacecraft, researchers determined the planet’s distance and found it to be about the mass of Satur...
-
Hubble Observations Turn Exoplanet Into Dust; Reveal Rare Double Asteroid Impact in Nearby System
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has revealed that a vanished exoplanet near the star Fomalhaut was never a planet at all. Scientists discovered two rare, violent collisions between asteroid-sized bodies, producing glowing debris clouds that briefly mimicked planets. The findings offer a rare glimpse into how planetary systems evolve and how mislead...
-
The Most Exciting Exoplanet Discoveries of 2025: Know the Strange Worlds Scientists Have Found
Astronomers marked a milestone year as confirmed exoplanets surpassed 6,000 in 2025. Discoveries ranged from planets orbiting two suns to worlds losing their atmospheres or forming in real time. The findings reshaped ideas about how planets form, survive, and evolve across the Milky Way.
-
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Shows Rare Wobbling Jets in Sun-Facing Anti-Tail
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reveals rare wobbling jets in its sun-facing anti-tail, stretching over 620,000 miles. Observed from July to September 2025, the jets indicate the comet’s icy core rotates once every 15.5 hours. As only the third interstellar object known, 3I/ATLAS provides unique insights into cometary behaviour and formation in dista...
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Hubble Captures Rare Collision in Nearby Planetary System, Revealing Violent Planet Formation
Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have witnessed rare collisions between rocky bodies in the Fomalhaut system. The glowing debris clouds created by these impacts offer a unique glimpse into how planets form and highlight challenges in identifying true exoplanets.
-
New Orbital Clues Reveal How Hot Jupiters Moved Close to Their Stars
Researchers reveal some hot Jupiters drifted inward smoothly through protoplanetary disks, offering clues to planetary system formation and stability.
-
New Study Challenges Long-Held Beliefs About Formation Of The Moon
According to researchers, the composition of a planet or celestial body holds the entire story of its formation and origin.
-
Planets Could Create Their Own Water While Forming, Expanding Possibilities for Habitable Worlds
Lab experiments show planets can generate water during formation, not just via comets. This suggests habitable conditions may be widespread in the galaxy, expanding possibilities for life-friendly exoplanets.
-
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Telescope Challenges Old Theories on Mini-Neptune Worlds
New models suggest mini-Neptunes—planets smaller than Neptune with thick gas envelopes—may have solid rocky surfaces instead of molten magma. Data from NASA’s JWST revealed high-pressure atmospheres capable of compressing molten rock into solid crusts. This discovery challenges earlier assumptions and offers key insights into exoplanet compos...
-
Lunar Samples Reveal Far Side of the Moon Is Cooler Than Near Side
China’s Chang’e 6 mission has revealed the moon’s far side is cooler than its near side, with samples showing a 180°F difference in formation temperatures. Researchers suggest uneven distribution of radioactive elements shaped these contrasts, offering the first physical evidence of a deep interior thermal divide in lunar history.
-
James Webb Spots Bizarre Planet-Forming Disk Full of Carbon Dioxide
The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted a bizarre planet-forming disk dominated by carbon dioxide where water is almost absent. This rare finding, in star system XUE 10 within NGC 6357, challenges current models of planetary formation and may reshape our understanding of habitable worlds.
-
NASA’s InSight Reveals Ancient Planetary Remains Preserved Deep Inside Mars
Scientists using NASA’s InSight lander data have uncovered dozens of dense blobs hidden in Mars’ mantle, possibly remnants of failed protoplanets from the early solar system. Preserved for billions of years, these structures reveal Mars’ mantle evolved sluggishly compared with Earth, offering a unique window into planetary formation and the v...
-
Mars' Interior Holds Evidence Of Violent Early History, NASA Scientists Confirm
NASA scientists have discovered massive fragments of ancient planetary collisions buried deep in Mars' mantle, using seismic data from the InSight lander.
-
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...
