Solar System Moons
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NASA Captures Comet Disintegrating Near Sun During Close Flyby
On April 4, comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) moved toward the Sun, passing at a distance about twice as far from the Sun as the Moon is from Earth.
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Why Jupiter Has Four Giant Moons While Saturn Has Just One, Study Explains
Scientists suggest the strong magnetic field of Jupiter created regions for multiple large moons to form, unlike Saturn. The findings could reshape how astronomers search for exomoons in distant planetary systems.
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Artemis II Launched: NASA’s First Crewed Mission in 50 Years Aims for the Moon
NASA’s Artemis II mission was launched on Wednesday evening, marking the first time in 50 years that the space agency sent a crewed mission towards the Moon. The successful take-off of the new Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft took place from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center at 6:35pm EDT (Thursday, 4:05am IST).
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Saturn And Jupiter Gain New Moons, Take Solar System Satellite Count To 442
The newly discovered moons are "irregular" satellites, meaning they are small (averaging about 3 km across) and have distant, often eccentric orbits.
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NASA Tests Solar-Powered System to Extract Oxygen from Lunar Soil
NASA has tested a solar-powered prototype that extracts oxygen from simulated lunar soil using concentrated sunlight and carbon. The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration heats moon dust to produce carbon monoxide, later converted into oxygen and fuel, potentially enabling astronauts to generate air and propellant directly on the Moon.
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VLT’s GRAVITY Instrument Detects ‘Tug’ from Colossal Exomoon; Could Be Largest Natural Satellite Ever Found
Astronomers have spotted a subtle orbital wobble around the massive exoplanet HD 206893 B, hinting at the presence of a gigantic moon nearly half Jupiter’s mass. If confirmed, it would be unlike any moon known, potentially redefining how scientists distinguish between moons, planets, and brown dwarfs.
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A Nearby Planet May Have Formed the Moon Following a Collision With Early Earth: Study
A new analysis of Apollo samples and Earth rocks suggests that a nearby rocky planet, not a distant object, collided with early Earth and formed the moon. The study argues that this lost planet, Theia, originated in the inner solar system and shared Earth’s early neighbourhood, offering fresh insight into one of the most important events in our p...
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Icy Moons Might Have Oceans That Briefly Boil, Study Suggests
A new study suggests that icy moons such as Mimas and Enceladus may host boiling subsurface oceans triggered by thinning ice shells and falling pressure. This low-temperature boiling could still support life beneath the surface. The research also explains geological features on larger icy moons and strengthens their potential as sites for finding e...
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Boiling Oceans May Hide Beneath Icy Moons, New Study Suggests
A new study suggests that icy moons such as Mimas and Enceladus may host boiling subsurface oceans triggered by thinning ice shells and falling pressure. This low-temperature boiling could still support life beneath the surface. The research also explains geological features on larger icy moons and strengthens their potential as sites for finding e...
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Study Traces Moon-Forming Impact to an Inner Solar System Neighbour Named Theia
A new isotopic study reveals that Theia—the Mars-sized body that struck Earth 4.5 billion years ago to form the Moon—likely originated in the inner Solar System, close to Earth’s birthplace. By comparing heavy-element isotope ratios in lunar rocks, Earth samples, and meteorites, researchers found identical signatures, showing both worlds form...
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Scientist Claims Alien Probes May Be In Plain Sight, Observing Earth's Growing Intelligence
Ellery suggested that building a nuclear reactor on the Moon could yield chemical signatures that could be explored in the future.
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Chang’e-6 Lunar Samples Reveal Water-Rich Asteroid Fragments
Analysis of Chang’e-6 lunar dust uncovered microscopic carbonaceous chondrite fragments—evidence of water-bearing asteroids that once struck the Moon. The discovery indicates a far greater delivery of water and organics to Earth and the Moon than thought, helping scientists refine theories about the solar system’s early volatile sources.
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Earth to Spin Faster on July 22 to Make It One of the Shortest Days in Recorded History
On Tuesday, July 22, 2025, Earth will complete its rotation 1.34 milliseconds faster than the usual 24 hours, scientists say. That will make it the second-shortest day ever recorded, just behind July 10, 2025. The trend of shorter days has accelerated since 2020, attributed to factors like the Moon’s position, mass shifts from melting ice, and at...
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Earth May Have At Least Six "Minimoons" At Any Given Time: Study
Studying minimoons can provide insights into the Moon's history and crater formation process.
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China’s Tianwen 2 Probe Snaps Striking Views of Earth and Moon While En Route to Asteroid
China’s Tianwen 2 spacecraft, now millions of kilometers from Earth, captured distant images of Earth and the moon as it journeys to asteroid Kamo'oalewa. Set to collect samples by 2026 and return them in 2027, the mission could reveal insights into the solar system’s formation—before continuing on to a second deep-space target, comet 311P/PA...
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NASA Captures Comet Disintegrating Near Sun During Close Flyby
On April 4, comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) moved toward the Sun, passing at a distance about twice as far from the Sun as the Moon is from Earth.
-
Why Jupiter Has Four Giant Moons While Saturn Has Just One, Study Explains
Scientists suggest the strong magnetic field of Jupiter created regions for multiple large moons to form, unlike Saturn. The findings could reshape how astronomers search for exomoons in distant planetary systems.
-
Artemis II Launched: NASA’s First Crewed Mission in 50 Years Aims for the Moon
NASA’s Artemis II mission was launched on Wednesday evening, marking the first time in 50 years that the space agency sent a crewed mission towards the Moon. The successful take-off of the new Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft took place from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center at 6:35pm EDT (Thursday, 4:05am IST).
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Saturn And Jupiter Gain New Moons, Take Solar System Satellite Count To 442
The newly discovered moons are "irregular" satellites, meaning they are small (averaging about 3 km across) and have distant, often eccentric orbits.
-
NASA Tests Solar-Powered System to Extract Oxygen from Lunar Soil
NASA has tested a solar-powered prototype that extracts oxygen from simulated lunar soil using concentrated sunlight and carbon. The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration heats moon dust to produce carbon monoxide, later converted into oxygen and fuel, potentially enabling astronauts to generate air and propellant directly on the Moon.
-
VLT’s GRAVITY Instrument Detects ‘Tug’ from Colossal Exomoon; Could Be Largest Natural Satellite Ever Found
Astronomers have spotted a subtle orbital wobble around the massive exoplanet HD 206893 B, hinting at the presence of a gigantic moon nearly half Jupiter’s mass. If confirmed, it would be unlike any moon known, potentially redefining how scientists distinguish between moons, planets, and brown dwarfs.
-
A Nearby Planet May Have Formed the Moon Following a Collision With Early Earth: Study
A new analysis of Apollo samples and Earth rocks suggests that a nearby rocky planet, not a distant object, collided with early Earth and formed the moon. The study argues that this lost planet, Theia, originated in the inner solar system and shared Earth’s early neighbourhood, offering fresh insight into one of the most important events in our p...
-
Icy Moons Might Have Oceans That Briefly Boil, Study Suggests
A new study suggests that icy moons such as Mimas and Enceladus may host boiling subsurface oceans triggered by thinning ice shells and falling pressure. This low-temperature boiling could still support life beneath the surface. The research also explains geological features on larger icy moons and strengthens their potential as sites for finding e...
-
Boiling Oceans May Hide Beneath Icy Moons, New Study Suggests
A new study suggests that icy moons such as Mimas and Enceladus may host boiling subsurface oceans triggered by thinning ice shells and falling pressure. This low-temperature boiling could still support life beneath the surface. The research also explains geological features on larger icy moons and strengthens their potential as sites for finding e...
-
Study Traces Moon-Forming Impact to an Inner Solar System Neighbour Named Theia
A new isotopic study reveals that Theia—the Mars-sized body that struck Earth 4.5 billion years ago to form the Moon—likely originated in the inner Solar System, close to Earth’s birthplace. By comparing heavy-element isotope ratios in lunar rocks, Earth samples, and meteorites, researchers found identical signatures, showing both worlds form...
-
Scientist Claims Alien Probes May Be In Plain Sight, Observing Earth's Growing Intelligence
Ellery suggested that building a nuclear reactor on the Moon could yield chemical signatures that could be explored in the future.
-
Chang’e-6 Lunar Samples Reveal Water-Rich Asteroid Fragments
Analysis of Chang’e-6 lunar dust uncovered microscopic carbonaceous chondrite fragments—evidence of water-bearing asteroids that once struck the Moon. The discovery indicates a far greater delivery of water and organics to Earth and the Moon than thought, helping scientists refine theories about the solar system’s early volatile sources.
-
Earth to Spin Faster on July 22 to Make It One of the Shortest Days in Recorded History
On Tuesday, July 22, 2025, Earth will complete its rotation 1.34 milliseconds faster than the usual 24 hours, scientists say. That will make it the second-shortest day ever recorded, just behind July 10, 2025. The trend of shorter days has accelerated since 2020, attributed to factors like the Moon’s position, mass shifts from melting ice, and at...
-
Earth May Have At Least Six "Minimoons" At Any Given Time: Study
Studying minimoons can provide insights into the Moon's history and crater formation process.
-
China’s Tianwen 2 Probe Snaps Striking Views of Earth and Moon While En Route to Asteroid
China’s Tianwen 2 spacecraft, now millions of kilometers from Earth, captured distant images of Earth and the moon as it journeys to asteroid Kamo'oalewa. Set to collect samples by 2026 and return them in 2027, the mission could reveal insights into the solar system’s formation—before continuing on to a second deep-space target, comet 311P/PA...
