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Scientists Uncover 'Sunken Worlds' Deep in Earth’s Mantle, Defying Geological Expectations
A new study has uncovered unusual anomalies deep within Earth's mantle, resembling sunken crustal slabs in unexpected locations. Using advanced full-waveform inversion, scientists were able to map these structures, revealing hidden patterns that challenge current geological understanding. These anomalies were discovered far from tectonic activity z...
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NASA's TESS Discovers Fastest Disintegrating Planet Ever Seen: What You Need to Know
NASA’s TESS has observed the closest and fastest disintegrating planet, BD+05 4868 Ab, located 141 light-years away. The planet loses a moon’s mass every million years as it is bombarded by its host star. Scientists are examining its massive dust trails, offering rare insights into the composition of terrestrial exoplanets. Researchers from MIT...
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Ancient Ice Core from Antarctica May Reveal Climate Mysteries from 1.2 Million Years Ago
A team of scientists in Antarctica has extracted a 2.8-kilometre-long ice core from Little Dome C, believed to be 1.2 million years old. The ice core contains trapped air bubbles and volcanic ash, offering valuable data on climate shifts and the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. The research aims to uncover the cause behind significant climatic changes a...
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Astronomers Discover Water and Carbon Dioxide in WASP-166 b's Atmosphere
Astronomers have detected water and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of WASP-166 b, a hot super-Neptune exoplanet. Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the findings also noted ammonia in smaller quantities. WASP-166 b, located 368 light-years away, is a massive planet that orbits its star every 5.44 days, with a temperature of 1,2...
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Ammonium Hydrosulfide Identified as Primary Component of Jupiter’s Clouds, Not Ammonia
Jupiter’s clouds, long believed to be made of ammonia ice, are now confirmed to consist primarily of ammonium hydrosulfide combined with photochemical materials. This groundbreaking discovery, achieved through collaboration between amateur and professional astronomers, has redefined our understanding of the planet's atmosphere. Using innovative m...
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Newly Discovered Oxygen Reaction Existed in Primitive Atmosphere, Sheds Light on Origin of Life
Scientists have uncovered a new way oxygen could form in carbon dioxide-rich atmospheres without the involvement of life. The discovery, led by researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, shows that a reaction between helium ions and CO2 can produce molecular oxygen. This process challenges traditional methods of life detect...
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New Study Challenges Planet Formation Models with PDS 70b’s Chemical Mystery
A new study on PDS 70b, a forming exoplanet located 400 light-years away, reveals a significant mismatch between its atmospheric composition and the surrounding protoplanetary disk. This discovery casts doubt on existing planet formation models, suggesting that more research is needed to understand how planets gather materials and elements during t...
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TRAPPIST-1b Could Have Carbon Dioxide-Rich Atmosphere, Study Reveals
A new study published in Nature Astronomy proposes that TRAPPIST-1b, the innermost planet in the TRAPPIST-1 system, might have a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. This discovery comes from new data showing a reflective haze in the planet's upper atmosphere. Scientists are also investigating the possibility of volcanic activity based on the planet’s...
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Webb Telescope Confirms Planet-Forming Disks Last Longer in Early Universe
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed that planet-forming disks around stars in the early universe lasted far longer than previously believed. By studying NGC 346, a star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud, Webb observed disks surviving for 20–30 million years, challenging current models. This discovery suggests that low-metal environmen...
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Venus Never Had Oceans or Conditions to Support Life, New Study Finds
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have concluded that Venus likely never had oceans or conditions to support life. Their study, published in Nature Astronomy, analysed atmospheric chemistry and volcanic activity. They found that volcanic gases lacked significant steam, indicating the planet's interior has always been dry. This research ha...
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Scientists Discover First Astrosphere Around Sunlike Star: What You Need to Know?
Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery by detecting the first-ever astrosphere around a sunlike star. The astrosphere, a protective bubble formed by stellar wind, was detected around HD 61005, providing insights into early solar activity and its role in shielding planets from cosmic radiation. This discovery offers a glimpse into the Sun'...
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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Fourth Planet in Kepler-51 System
A study published in The Astronomical Journal reveals the discovery of Kepler-51e, the fourth planet in the Kepler-51 system, led by Dr Jessica Libby-Roberts of Penn State and Dr Kento Masuda of Osaka University. Observations indicated that only a four-planet model could explain the transit timing variations. Kepler-51e’s orbit, just inside the s...
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James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Unique Features of Westerlund 1 Star Cluster
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured groundbreaking images of Westerlund 1, a supermassive star cluster located 12,000 light-years away. The new findings offer a closer look at star formation processes, particularly the discovery of brown dwarfs, and highlight the role of energetic radiation in shaping planetary environments.
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Evidence of Hot Water on Mars Found in Ancient Meteorite From Early Days of Solar System
Evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars has been found in a 4.45-billion-year-old zircon grain from the NWA7034 meteorite. The findings, detailed in Science Advances, reveal that hydrothermal systems were active on Mars during the Pre-Noachian period. Researchers suggest these systems, essential for life on Earth, could have made Mars habita...
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Discovery Of Ancient Hot Water On Mars Indicator Of Its Habitable Past
Australian researchers have discovered the oldest direct evidence of hot water activity on Mars, revealing that the planet may have once been habitable.
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Scientists Uncover 'Sunken Worlds' Deep in Earth’s Mantle, Defying Geological Expectations
A new study has uncovered unusual anomalies deep within Earth's mantle, resembling sunken crustal slabs in unexpected locations. Using advanced full-waveform inversion, scientists were able to map these structures, revealing hidden patterns that challenge current geological understanding. These anomalies were discovered far from tectonic activity z...
-
NASA's TESS Discovers Fastest Disintegrating Planet Ever Seen: What You Need to Know
NASA’s TESS has observed the closest and fastest disintegrating planet, BD+05 4868 Ab, located 141 light-years away. The planet loses a moon’s mass every million years as it is bombarded by its host star. Scientists are examining its massive dust trails, offering rare insights into the composition of terrestrial exoplanets. Researchers from MIT...
-
Ancient Ice Core from Antarctica May Reveal Climate Mysteries from 1.2 Million Years Ago
A team of scientists in Antarctica has extracted a 2.8-kilometre-long ice core from Little Dome C, believed to be 1.2 million years old. The ice core contains trapped air bubbles and volcanic ash, offering valuable data on climate shifts and the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. The research aims to uncover the cause behind significant climatic changes a...
-
Astronomers Discover Water and Carbon Dioxide in WASP-166 b's Atmosphere
Astronomers have detected water and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of WASP-166 b, a hot super-Neptune exoplanet. Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the findings also noted ammonia in smaller quantities. WASP-166 b, located 368 light-years away, is a massive planet that orbits its star every 5.44 days, with a temperature of 1,2...
-
Ammonium Hydrosulfide Identified as Primary Component of Jupiter’s Clouds, Not Ammonia
Jupiter’s clouds, long believed to be made of ammonia ice, are now confirmed to consist primarily of ammonium hydrosulfide combined with photochemical materials. This groundbreaking discovery, achieved through collaboration between amateur and professional astronomers, has redefined our understanding of the planet's atmosphere. Using innovative m...
-
Newly Discovered Oxygen Reaction Existed in Primitive Atmosphere, Sheds Light on Origin of Life
Scientists have uncovered a new way oxygen could form in carbon dioxide-rich atmospheres without the involvement of life. The discovery, led by researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, shows that a reaction between helium ions and CO2 can produce molecular oxygen. This process challenges traditional methods of life detect...
-
New Study Challenges Planet Formation Models with PDS 70b’s Chemical Mystery
A new study on PDS 70b, a forming exoplanet located 400 light-years away, reveals a significant mismatch between its atmospheric composition and the surrounding protoplanetary disk. This discovery casts doubt on existing planet formation models, suggesting that more research is needed to understand how planets gather materials and elements during t...
-
TRAPPIST-1b Could Have Carbon Dioxide-Rich Atmosphere, Study Reveals
A new study published in Nature Astronomy proposes that TRAPPIST-1b, the innermost planet in the TRAPPIST-1 system, might have a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. This discovery comes from new data showing a reflective haze in the planet's upper atmosphere. Scientists are also investigating the possibility of volcanic activity based on the planet’s...
-
Webb Telescope Confirms Planet-Forming Disks Last Longer in Early Universe
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed that planet-forming disks around stars in the early universe lasted far longer than previously believed. By studying NGC 346, a star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud, Webb observed disks surviving for 20–30 million years, challenging current models. This discovery suggests that low-metal environmen...
-
Venus Never Had Oceans or Conditions to Support Life, New Study Finds
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have concluded that Venus likely never had oceans or conditions to support life. Their study, published in Nature Astronomy, analysed atmospheric chemistry and volcanic activity. They found that volcanic gases lacked significant steam, indicating the planet's interior has always been dry. This research ha...
-
Scientists Discover First Astrosphere Around Sunlike Star: What You Need to Know?
Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery by detecting the first-ever astrosphere around a sunlike star. The astrosphere, a protective bubble formed by stellar wind, was detected around HD 61005, providing insights into early solar activity and its role in shielding planets from cosmic radiation. This discovery offers a glimpse into the Sun'...
-
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Fourth Planet in Kepler-51 System
A study published in The Astronomical Journal reveals the discovery of Kepler-51e, the fourth planet in the Kepler-51 system, led by Dr Jessica Libby-Roberts of Penn State and Dr Kento Masuda of Osaka University. Observations indicated that only a four-planet model could explain the transit timing variations. Kepler-51e’s orbit, just inside the s...
-
James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Unique Features of Westerlund 1 Star Cluster
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured groundbreaking images of Westerlund 1, a supermassive star cluster located 12,000 light-years away. The new findings offer a closer look at star formation processes, particularly the discovery of brown dwarfs, and highlight the role of energetic radiation in shaping planetary environments.
-
Evidence of Hot Water on Mars Found in Ancient Meteorite From Early Days of Solar System
Evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars has been found in a 4.45-billion-year-old zircon grain from the NWA7034 meteorite. The findings, detailed in Science Advances, reveal that hydrothermal systems were active on Mars during the Pre-Noachian period. Researchers suggest these systems, essential for life on Earth, could have made Mars habita...
-
Discovery Of Ancient Hot Water On Mars Indicator Of Its Habitable Past
Australian researchers have discovered the oldest direct evidence of hot water activity on Mars, revealing that the planet may have once been habitable.
