Planetary Science News - SciTechDaily

Cosmic Mystery Solved? New Evidence Shows Planets Influence Sun’s Magnetic Cycles

Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 21:57:28 +0000

The new physical model supports the planetary hypothesis. Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the University of Latvia have proposed the first comprehensive physical explanation for the sun’s various activity cycles. They identify vortex-shaped currents on the sun, known as Rossby waves, as mediators between the tidal influences of Venus, Earth, and Jupiter and [...]

Astronomers Uncover Vast Array of Strange Alien Worlds

University of Hawaii at Manoa — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 18:35:53 +0000

A collaborative international effort has produced a catalog detailing 126 (120 confirmed, 6 candidates) exoplanets using TESS and Keck Observatory data, broadening knowledge of their diverse types and potential for hosting life. An international team of scientists, including significant contributions from astronomers at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Institute for Astronomy (IfA), has released a new [...]

International Planet Hunters Discover Dozens of Strange New Worlds

University of California - Riverside — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 03:10:16 +0000

The NASA TESS-Keck Survey provides details on the mass and density of 126 planets. Although thousands of planets have been discovered orbiting other stars, our understanding of them remains limited. A NASA catalog featuring 126 newly discovered exotic worlds provides detailed measurements, enabling comparisons with our own solar system. The catalog details a fascinating mix [...]

The Thick Ice of Europa: A Barrier or a Gateway to Alien Life?

Purdue University — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 05:56:10 +0000

Jupiter’s icy moon may be the next place where humans find life, but first, they need to understand its structure. Planetary physics can often feel like being in a snowball fight. When given an already-formed snowball, most people can leverage their experience and the texture of the snowball to determine its composition: whether it’s made [...]

Scientists Uncover First Building Block in Super-Earth Formation

Johns Hopkins University — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 21:51:10 +0000

A new study reveals that magnesium oxide, a key mineral in planet formation, might be the first to solidify in developing “super-Earth” exoplanets, with its behavior under extreme conditions significantly influencing planetary development. Scientists have for the first time observed how atoms in magnesium oxide morph and melt under ultra-harsh conditions, providing new insights into [...]

Peering Through Cosmic Dust: James Webb Telescope Is on the Hunt for Newborn Planets

University of Michigan — Sun, 05 May 2024 18:09:15 +0000

Planets form in disks of dust and gas called protoplanetary disks that whirl around a central protostar during its final assembly. Although several dozens of such disks have been imaged, just two planets have been caught in the act of forming so far. Now, astronomers are aiming the powerful instruments aboard the James Webb Space [...]

Planetary Crisis Unveiled: Shockingly Little Research on Major Threats to Earth

University of British Columbia — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 15:44:14 +0000

Integrating research on the spread of infectious diseases, the decline in biodiversity, and climate change could provide mutually beneficial solutions for the health of our planet. A scientific analysis has uncovered a significant lack of studies exploring the links between three critical risks to the health of our planet, despite United Nations reports indicating that [...]

Revolutionizing Lunar History: Scientists Introduce a New Timeline

Science China Press — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 22:33:25 +0000

New research led by Dr. Dijun Guo from the National Space Science Center at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dr. Jianhzong Liu from the Institute of Geochemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Dr. James W Head from Brown University reevaluates the basic lunar stratigraphic timeline, proposing significant revisions to incorporate a broader and [...]

For the First Time: Water Molecules Have Been Discovered on an Asteroid’s Surface

Southwest Research Institute — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 09:20:02 +0000

The FORCAST instrument on SOFIA discovered water on asteroids that were previously considered dry. Scientists from the Southwest Research Institute have made the first discovery of water molecules on an asteroid’s surface, utilizing data from the now-retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This project was a collaborative effort between NASA and the German Space [...]

Unveiling the Mysteries of Titan’s Icy Faults: A Journey Through Space Geology

University of Hawaii at Manoa — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 20:20:59 +0000

Scientists have discovered strike-slip faults on the icy moons of our solar system, similar to those seen at the San Andreas fault in California. These faults occur when fault walls slide sideways past each other. New research from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, led by earth and space scientists, has explored and explained the [...]

Rewriting Earth’s Early History: Scientists Discover High Iron Oxidation in Primordial Magma

Ehime University — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 18:14:47 +0000

New study sheds light on the composition of the Earth’s earliest atmosphere. Understanding the atmospheric and surface conditions of early Earth, especially before life originated, is crucial to comprehend Earth’s ability to support life. The atmosphere of terrestial planets is believed to have been created by the release of volatile substances from the planet’s interior [...]

Popular Explanation Is Wrong – Researchers Discover New Clues Regarding the Origin of Earth’s Continents

Smithsonian — Mon, 08 May 2023 13:46:14 +0000

New experiments have called into question a popular explanation for the properties that give rise to dry land. Despite being a crucial factor in making Earth a hospitable place for life compared to other planets in the solar system, the origins and unique characteristics of continents, massive segments of the planet’s crust, remain largely enigmatic. [...]

Is There Life on Saturn’s Icy Moon Enceladus? A Future Space Mission Could Provide Answers

University of Arizona — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 04:18:55 +0000

Enceladus, encased in a thick ice shell and surrounded by a vast ocean, is a strong contender for potentially containing extraterrestrial life. Researchers have concluded that without even requiring a landing on this tiny world, a future mission could potentially offer answers. University of Arizona researchers have found that the mystery surrounding the possibility of [...]

Scientists Obtain First-Ever Sound Recording of Dust Devils on Mars

Purdue University — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 22:01:37 +0000

Scientists have made history by recording the first audio of an extraterrestrial whirlwind on Mars, thanks to the microphone on NASA’s Perseverance rover. The study, led by planetary scientist Naomi Murdoch and a team of researchers at the National Higher French Institute of Aeronautics and Space and NASA, was published in Nature Communications. Roger Wiens, [...]

Scientists Identify a Potential Source of a Special Kind of Meteorite

University of Arizona — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:11:30 +0000

Its characteristics may help to explain certain discrepancies in the classification of near-Earth asteroids. When the Chelyabinsk fireball exploded over the Russian sky in 2013, it left a rather rare sort of meteorite on Earth. What distinguishes the Chelyabinsk meteorites and others like them is the presence of dark veins caused by a process known [...]

Scientists Discover the First Impact Crater in Spain

Europlanet — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 11:55:02 +0000

The crater was found in the province of Almeria. The first probable impact crater in Spain has been discovered in the southern province of Almeria. The finding was recently reported by Juan Antonio Sánchez Garrido of the University of Almeria at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022. Although there are over 200 impact structures known to [...]

Martian Landslides Not Conclusive Evidence of Ice – Analysis of State-of-the-Art Satellite Data Reveals

University College London — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 09:40:54 +0000

Giant ridges on the surface of landslides on Mars could have formed without ice, challenging their use by some as unequivocal evidence of past ice on the red planet, finds a new UCL-led study using state-of-the-art satellite data. Detailed three-dimensional images of an extensive landslide on Mars, which spans an area more than 55 kilometers [...]

Rocky, Earth-Sized Exoplanet Is Missing an Atmosphere [Video]

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 15:40:35 +0000

Study reports on search for an atmosphere around a planet somewhat similar to ours. Astronomers at MIT, Harvard University, and elsewhere have searched a rocky, Earth-sized exoplanet for signs of an atmosphere — and found none. Atmospheres have previously been detected on planets much larger than our own, including several hot-Jupiters and sub-Neptunes, all of [...]

Classic Mars Image From NASA’s Mariner 6 and 7

Yvette Smith, NASA — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 02:33:23 +0000

Lost in the glare following the Apollo 11 Moon landing, two intrepid robotic spacecraft flew by Mars in the summer of 1969 and returned photographs and a trove of scientific information. Launched on February 25 and March 27, respectively, Mariner 6 and 7 arrived at Mars just five days apart despite being launched a month [...]

Hubble Discovers an Exoplanet Shaped Like a Football

Claire Andreoli, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 02:30:14 +0000

How can a planet be “hotter than hot?” The answer is when heavy metals are detected escaping from the planet’s atmosphere, instead of condensing into clouds. Observations by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveal magnesium and iron gas streaming from the strange world outside our solar system known as WASP-121b. The observations represent the first time [...]

TESS Discovers Habitable Zone Planet in GJ 357 System

Francis Reddy, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 02:19:30 +0000

A piping hot planet discovered by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has pointed the way to additional worlds orbiting the same star, one of which is located in the star’s habitable zone. If made of rock, this planet may be around twice Earth’s size. The new worlds orbit a star named GJ 357, an [...]

NASA’s TESS Mission Discovers Three New Worlds

Francis Reddy, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 01:43:30 +0000

NASA’s newest planet hunter, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), has discovered three new worlds — one slightly larger than Earth and two of a type not found in our solar system — orbiting a nearby star. The planets straddle an observed gap in the sizes of known planets and promise to be among the [...]

Noteworthy Discoveries From TESS Mission’s First Year

Ravyn Cullor, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 02:03:58 +0000

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered 21 planets outside our solar system and captured data on other interesting events occurring in the southern sky during its first year of science. TESS has now turned its attention to the Northern Hemisphere to complete the most comprehensive planet-hunting expedition ever undertaken. TESS began hunting for [...]

Water in Polar Moon Craters Not as Invincible as Expected

Lonnie Shekhtman, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 01:09:56 +0000

The Moon’s south pole region is home to some of the most extreme environments in the solar system: it’s unimaginably cold, massively cratered, and has areas that are either constantly bathed in sunlight or in darkness. This is precisely why NASA wants to send astronauts there in 2024 as part of its Artemis program. As [...]