Planetary Orbits
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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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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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Massive Boulders Ejected by DART Mission Could Complicate Future Asteroid Deflection
NASA’s DART mission successfully deflected an asteroid but also unleashed high-velocity boulders with unexpected momentum. These chaotic ejecta may alter asteroid spin and orbit, complicating future deflection strategies. A new study highlights the importance of accounting for such forces in planetary defence. ESA’s Hera mission will further in...
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New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds
Astronomers have confirmed the arrival of 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system. First seen on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey team in Chile, it was quickly identified by its unusual hyperbolic orbit and comet-like tail. Larger and brighter than either 1I/ʻOumuamua or 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS is estimated to b...
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'Strange' Planetary System With Unusual Orbit Intrigues Scientists
The planet was formed around four billion years ago and has a frigid atmospheric temperature of just minus 3 degrees Celsius.
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NASA Slightly Raises Odds of Asteroid Hitting the Moon in 2032 After Updated JWST Data
NASA has revised the 2032 impact odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Moon to 4.3%, up from 3.8%, based on new data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Though once feared for its high Earth impact risk, scientists now say it poses no threat and offers critical insights for future planetary defense strategies.
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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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Jupiter Was Once Twice Its Size - And Its Magnetic Field Could Fry Spacecraft
Jupiter's early evolution and gravitational influence played a crucial role in shaping the solar system's structure and planetary orbits, earning it the title of the solar system's "architect."
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Hubble Captures Mars, Cosmic Nebulae, and Distant Galaxies in Spectacular 35th Anniversary Photos
To celebrate 35 years in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope has released breathtaking new images of Mars, a planetary nebula, and a distant spiral galaxy. Since its 1990 launch, Hubble has captured nearly 1.7 million observations and continues to awe scientists and stargazers alike with vivid cosmic scenes that reveal the ever-changing beauty of our...
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NASA Prepares to Launch First Quantum Sensor for Measuring Gravity from Orbit
NASA, in collaboration with academia and private companies, is developing the first quantum sensor to map Earth’s gravity from space. Using cold rubidium atoms, the compact instrument will deliver highly sensitive, long-term measurements. This mission could transform how we study Earth’s subsurface and explore planetary bodies across the solar ...
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Bizzare 'Failed Star' Planet Orbiting Double Star System in Milky Way Discovered by Researchers
Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet 90 degrees tilted around a special pair of eclipsing brown dwarfs. This uncommon "polar planet" challenges accepted wisdom on planet creation by presenting new insights on the dynamics of binary stars and the range of Milky Way planetary orbits.
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Two New Exoplanets Found Orbiting a Star in Draco Constellation
Astronomers have identified two exoplanets, TOI-1453 b and TOI-1453 c, orbiting a star 250 light-years away in Draco. The planets, a super-Earth and a sub-Neptune, were detected using NASA’s TESS satellite and the HARPS-N spectrograph. TOI-1453 b is a rocky planet orbiting close to its star, while TOI-1453 c is twice Earth’s size and may have a...
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NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather
NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The trio of small satellites will map auroral electrojets, powerful currents in Earth’s atmosphere linked to solar storms. Their data will enhance space weather prediction models and help understand planetary mag...
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Astronomers Spot a High-Speed Star That May Carry a Planet With It
Astronomers have identified a celestial object moving through the Milky Way at over 1.2 million mph. Believed to be a small star with a possible massive exoplanet, the discovery could mark the fastest-known planetary system. If its speed exceeds 1.3 million mph, it may eventually escape the galaxy. Scientists are still verifying whether it is the s...
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A Star With a Planet May Be Racing Through the Galaxy at Record Speed
Astronomers have identified a potential record-breaking exoplanet system moving at 1.2 million mph. Detected through microlensing, the discovery suggests a low-mass star with an orbiting planet is racing through the Milky Way. Data from the Keck Observatory and ESA’s Gaia satellite indicate a high-speed celestial body that may eventually escape t...
-
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 ...
-
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...
-
Massive Boulders Ejected by DART Mission Could Complicate Future Asteroid Deflection
NASA’s DART mission successfully deflected an asteroid but also unleashed high-velocity boulders with unexpected momentum. These chaotic ejecta may alter asteroid spin and orbit, complicating future deflection strategies. A new study highlights the importance of accounting for such forces in planetary defence. ESA’s Hera mission will further in...
-
New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds
Astronomers have confirmed the arrival of 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever spotted in our solar system. First seen on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey team in Chile, it was quickly identified by its unusual hyperbolic orbit and comet-like tail. Larger and brighter than either 1I/ʻOumuamua or 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS is estimated to b...
-
'Strange' Planetary System With Unusual Orbit Intrigues Scientists
The planet was formed around four billion years ago and has a frigid atmospheric temperature of just minus 3 degrees Celsius.
-
NASA Slightly Raises Odds of Asteroid Hitting the Moon in 2032 After Updated JWST Data
NASA has revised the 2032 impact odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Moon to 4.3%, up from 3.8%, based on new data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Though once feared for its high Earth impact risk, scientists now say it poses no threat and offers critical insights for future planetary defense strategies.
-
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...
-
Jupiter Was Once Twice Its Size - And Its Magnetic Field Could Fry Spacecraft
Jupiter's early evolution and gravitational influence played a crucial role in shaping the solar system's structure and planetary orbits, earning it the title of the solar system's "architect."
-
Hubble Captures Mars, Cosmic Nebulae, and Distant Galaxies in Spectacular 35th Anniversary Photos
To celebrate 35 years in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope has released breathtaking new images of Mars, a planetary nebula, and a distant spiral galaxy. Since its 1990 launch, Hubble has captured nearly 1.7 million observations and continues to awe scientists and stargazers alike with vivid cosmic scenes that reveal the ever-changing beauty of our...
-
NASA Prepares to Launch First Quantum Sensor for Measuring Gravity from Orbit
NASA, in collaboration with academia and private companies, is developing the first quantum sensor to map Earth’s gravity from space. Using cold rubidium atoms, the compact instrument will deliver highly sensitive, long-term measurements. This mission could transform how we study Earth’s subsurface and explore planetary bodies across the solar ...
-
Bizzare 'Failed Star' Planet Orbiting Double Star System in Milky Way Discovered by Researchers
Astronomers have discovered an exoplanet 90 degrees tilted around a special pair of eclipsing brown dwarfs. This uncommon "polar planet" challenges accepted wisdom on planet creation by presenting new insights on the dynamics of binary stars and the range of Milky Way planetary orbits.
-
Two New Exoplanets Found Orbiting a Star in Draco Constellation
Astronomers have identified two exoplanets, TOI-1453 b and TOI-1453 c, orbiting a star 250 light-years away in Draco. The planets, a super-Earth and a sub-Neptune, were detected using NASA’s TESS satellite and the HARPS-N spectrograph. TOI-1453 b is a rocky planet orbiting close to its star, while TOI-1453 c is twice Earth’s size and may have a...
-
NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather
NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The trio of small satellites will map auroral electrojets, powerful currents in Earth’s atmosphere linked to solar storms. Their data will enhance space weather prediction models and help understand planetary mag...
-
Astronomers Spot a High-Speed Star That May Carry a Planet With It
Astronomers have identified a celestial object moving through the Milky Way at over 1.2 million mph. Believed to be a small star with a possible massive exoplanet, the discovery could mark the fastest-known planetary system. If its speed exceeds 1.3 million mph, it may eventually escape the galaxy. Scientists are still verifying whether it is the s...
-
A Star With a Planet May Be Racing Through the Galaxy at Record Speed
Astronomers have identified a potential record-breaking exoplanet system moving at 1.2 million mph. Detected through microlensing, the discovery suggests a low-mass star with an orbiting planet is racing through the Milky Way. Data from the Keck Observatory and ESA’s Gaia satellite indicate a high-speed celestial body that may eventually escape t...
