Other Solar Systems

Like Earth and our solar system's other planets, Mars formed about 4.5 billion years ago. At the time the ocean apparently existed, it might already have begun its transition away from being a hospitable planet.

A powerful G4-class solar storm, triggered by a coronal mass ejection from the sun, is causing breathtaking auroras in unusual regions. This geomagnetic event may disrupt power grids and communication systems while providing the chance for spectacular light displays across the northern half of the United States. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

An international team of researchers, led by scientists from Stockholm University's Department of Astronomy, has discovered a higher number of black holes in the early universe than was previously recorded. Using the NASA Hubble Space Telescope, this team found black holes among faint galaxies formed shortly after the Big Bang event.

Astronomers have discovered 11 objects beyond the Kuiper Belt, suggesting the existence of a second belt, dubbed "Kuiper Belt 2." Located between 70 and 90 AU from the sun, this new region could redefine our understanding of the solar system's size and structure. The discovery was made using the Subaru telescope in collaboration with NASA’s New H...

MIT physicists have proposed that Mars' orbit might wobble due to the presence of primordial black holes, which could be a major source of dark matter in the universe. This theory builds on the idea that such black holes, formed just after the Big Bang, pass through our solar system and cause a gravitational effect detectable by current technology....

Primordial black holes, which may have formed shortly after the Big Bang, could pass through the solar system once per decade. These black holes are much lighter and smaller than typical black holes, yet their gravitational effects may help scientists uncover the mystery of dark matter. Detecting gravitational disruptions from these flybys might be...

Saturn's rings, one of the most unique features of our solar system, are set to become nearly invisible in March 2025. This rare phenomenon will occur due to Saturn's unique axial tilt, which will align the rings edge-on with Earth's line of sight. The result is a brief period where these majestic rings will be almost unobservable from our planet. ...

Astronomers have traditionally relied on helioseismology to estimate the Sun's age by analysing the vibrations that ripple through its interior. However, recent research has uncovered a significant obstacle, the Sun's magnetic activity, which follows an 11-year cycle, appears to be distorting these measurements. Data from the Birmingham Solar Oscil...

Recent research has cast doubt on the certainty of the Milky Way-Andromeda galaxy collision, suggesting the event may not be as inevitable as once thought. Traditionally, astronomers have predicted that our galaxy would merge with Andromeda within the next 5 billion years, creating a new elliptical galaxy often referred to as "Milkomeda." However, ...

On August 8, 2024, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) may have documented a record-breaking number of sunspots in a single day, marking a significant event in Solar Cycle 25. These sunspots, which are dark, cooler areas on the Sun’s surface caused by intense magnetic activity, play a crucial role in the Sun's behaviour and have a direct impa...

Recent findings from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have introduced new uncertainties about asteroid 16 Psyche. Known for its high iron content, Psyche was previously considered a potential remnant of a protoplanet, providing a valuable opportunity to study the early solar system. However, JWST has detected hydrated minerals on its surface, ...

Recent research has provided new insights into the asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago, causing a mass extinction event that led to the end of the dinosaurs. Scientists have now identified this impactor as a carbon-rich "C-type" asteroid, a type of space rock that likely originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Scientists said the study suggests that other planetary systems should have received large amounts of water too.

The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter has captured images of portions of the Martian Valles Marineris, the largest system of canyons in the Solar System. Valles Marineris, like many other geological features on the red planet, dwarfs all terrestrial analogues.

In a recent study to understand the composition of the Earth, researchers at ETH Zurich created dynamic models and simulated the formation of planets. Researchers ran simulations and collided thousands of planetesimals with each other in the early solar system. They observed that a mixture of several different planetesimals could lead to Earth's co...

Like Earth and our solar system's other planets, Mars formed about 4.5 billion years ago. At the time the ocean apparently existed, it might already have begun its transition away from being a hospitable planet.

A powerful G4-class solar storm, triggered by a coronal mass ejection from the sun, is causing breathtaking auroras in unusual regions. This geomagnetic event may disrupt power grids and communication systems while providing the chance for spectacular light displays across the northern half of the United States. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

An international team of researchers, led by scientists from Stockholm University's Department of Astronomy, has discovered a higher number of black holes in the early universe than was previously recorded. Using the NASA Hubble Space Telescope, this team found black holes among faint galaxies formed shortly after the Big Bang event.

Astronomers have discovered 11 objects beyond the Kuiper Belt, suggesting the existence of a second belt, dubbed "Kuiper Belt 2." Located between 70 and 90 AU from the sun, this new region could redefine our understanding of the solar system's size and structure. The discovery was made using the Subaru telescope in collaboration with NASA’s New H...

MIT physicists have proposed that Mars' orbit might wobble due to the presence of primordial black holes, which could be a major source of dark matter in the universe. This theory builds on the idea that such black holes, formed just after the Big Bang, pass through our solar system and cause a gravitational effect detectable by current technology....

Primordial black holes, which may have formed shortly after the Big Bang, could pass through the solar system once per decade. These black holes are much lighter and smaller than typical black holes, yet their gravitational effects may help scientists uncover the mystery of dark matter. Detecting gravitational disruptions from these flybys might be...

Saturn's rings, one of the most unique features of our solar system, are set to become nearly invisible in March 2025. This rare phenomenon will occur due to Saturn's unique axial tilt, which will align the rings edge-on with Earth's line of sight. The result is a brief period where these majestic rings will be almost unobservable from our planet. ...

Astronomers have traditionally relied on helioseismology to estimate the Sun's age by analysing the vibrations that ripple through its interior. However, recent research has uncovered a significant obstacle, the Sun's magnetic activity, which follows an 11-year cycle, appears to be distorting these measurements. Data from the Birmingham Solar Oscil...

Recent research has cast doubt on the certainty of the Milky Way-Andromeda galaxy collision, suggesting the event may not be as inevitable as once thought. Traditionally, astronomers have predicted that our galaxy would merge with Andromeda within the next 5 billion years, creating a new elliptical galaxy often referred to as "Milkomeda." However, ...

On August 8, 2024, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) may have documented a record-breaking number of sunspots in a single day, marking a significant event in Solar Cycle 25. These sunspots, which are dark, cooler areas on the Sun’s surface caused by intense magnetic activity, play a crucial role in the Sun's behaviour and have a direct impa...

Recent findings from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have introduced new uncertainties about asteroid 16 Psyche. Known for its high iron content, Psyche was previously considered a potential remnant of a protoplanet, providing a valuable opportunity to study the early solar system. However, JWST has detected hydrated minerals on its surface, ...

Recent research has provided new insights into the asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago, causing a mass extinction event that led to the end of the dinosaurs. Scientists have now identified this impactor as a carbon-rich "C-type" asteroid, a type of space rock that likely originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Scientists said the study suggests that other planetary systems should have received large amounts of water too.

The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter has captured images of portions of the Martian Valles Marineris, the largest system of canyons in the Solar System. Valles Marineris, like many other geological features on the red planet, dwarfs all terrestrial analogues.

In a recent study to understand the composition of the Earth, researchers at ETH Zurich created dynamic models and simulated the formation of planets. Researchers ran simulations and collided thousands of planetesimals with each other in the early solar system. They observed that a mixture of several different planetesimals could lead to Earth's co...