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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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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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'HOPE' In Ladakh To Simulate Life On Mars, A "Rehearsal" For Future
Located at an altitude of 4.3 kilometres above sea level, Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) is designed to simulate Mars-like conditions and will serve as a testbed for future crewed missions to the Moon and beyond.
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ISRO Sets Up Station In Ladakh To Simulate Life On Moon, Mars
ISRO’s HOPE station in Ladakh will serve as a testing ground for future Moon and Mars missions by simulating extreme space-like conditions on Earth.
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Hubble Captures First Images of Ancient Interstellar Visitor Comet 3I/ATLAS
Hubble has captured images of comet 3I/ATLAS, an ancient interstellar object likely 7 billion years old. As only the third known visitor from beyond the solar system, it offers rare insights into distant planetary systems. With its water ice and D-type asteroid-like dust, 3I/ATLAS is now under global scientific scrutiny before it vanishes back into...
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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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Earth’s Spin to Speed Up Briefly, Causing Shorter Days This Summer
Scientists report that Earth will briefly spin faster on July 9, 22, and August 5, shortening those summer days by 1.3 to 1.5 milliseconds. Though undetectable in daily life, this shift offers clues to how lunar gravity and seasonal changes affect planetary dynamics. Experts note that while timekeeping systems like GPS are unaffected, this rare spe...
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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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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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Europa Could Briefly Sustain Life When the Sun Becomes a Red Giant Star, Scientists Say
Scientists at Cornell’s Carl Sagan Institute propose that Jupiter’s moon Europa could host life for up to 200 million years during the sun’s red giant phase. While Earth would be incinerated, Europa’s subsurface oceans might temporarily support microbial life, offering a final refuge in the solar system and expanding the search for biosigna...
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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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Asteroid Vesta May Be a Fragment of a Lost Planet, Say Scientists
Vesta, once believed to be a stalled protoplanet, may be a fragment of a long-lost differentiated planet. Using refined gravity data from NASA’s Dawn mission, scientists found it lacks a dense core, suggesting it was ejected during a primordial impact. This revised view may apply to other asteroids and reshape planetary formation theories.
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Juno Mission Sheds Light on Jupiter’s Storms and Volcanic Activity on Io
NASA’s Juno probe has uncovered colliding cyclones circling Jupiter’s north pole and flowing magma beneath the crust of its volcanic moon Io. Using thermal and microwave instruments, scientists have tracked atmospheric chaos and subsurface lava flows, offering new insights into the Jovian system’s extreme weather and volcanic activity. These ...
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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...
-
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.
-
'HOPE' In Ladakh To Simulate Life On Mars, A "Rehearsal" For Future
Located at an altitude of 4.3 kilometres above sea level, Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) is designed to simulate Mars-like conditions and will serve as a testbed for future crewed missions to the Moon and beyond.
-
ISRO Sets Up Station In Ladakh To Simulate Life On Moon, Mars
ISRO’s HOPE station in Ladakh will serve as a testing ground for future Moon and Mars missions by simulating extreme space-like conditions on Earth.
-
Hubble Captures First Images of Ancient Interstellar Visitor Comet 3I/ATLAS
Hubble has captured images of comet 3I/ATLAS, an ancient interstellar object likely 7 billion years old. As only the third known visitor from beyond the solar system, it offers rare insights into distant planetary systems. With its water ice and D-type asteroid-like dust, 3I/ATLAS is now under global scientific scrutiny before it vanishes back into...
-
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...
-
Earth’s Spin to Speed Up Briefly, Causing Shorter Days This Summer
Scientists report that Earth will briefly spin faster on July 9, 22, and August 5, shortening those summer days by 1.3 to 1.5 milliseconds. Though undetectable in daily life, this shift offers clues to how lunar gravity and seasonal changes affect planetary dynamics. Experts note that while timekeeping systems like GPS are unaffected, this rare spe...
-
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...
-
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.
-
Europa Could Briefly Sustain Life When the Sun Becomes a Red Giant Star, Scientists Say
Scientists at Cornell’s Carl Sagan Institute propose that Jupiter’s moon Europa could host life for up to 200 million years during the sun’s red giant phase. While Earth would be incinerated, Europa’s subsurface oceans might temporarily support microbial life, offering a final refuge in the solar system and expanding the search for biosigna...
-
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."
-
Asteroid Vesta May Be a Fragment of a Lost Planet, Say Scientists
Vesta, once believed to be a stalled protoplanet, may be a fragment of a long-lost differentiated planet. Using refined gravity data from NASA’s Dawn mission, scientists found it lacks a dense core, suggesting it was ejected during a primordial impact. This revised view may apply to other asteroids and reshape planetary formation theories.
-
Juno Mission Sheds Light on Jupiter’s Storms and Volcanic Activity on Io
NASA’s Juno probe has uncovered colliding cyclones circling Jupiter’s north pole and flowing magma beneath the crust of its volcanic moon Io. Using thermal and microwave instruments, scientists have tracked atmospheric chaos and subsurface lava flows, offering new insights into the Jovian system’s extreme weather and volcanic activity. These ...
