Search results for Planetary Systems

Earth Sciences Sep 8, 2026

Current events: Scientists keep close eye on Atlantic Ocean changes

The year is 2060. London shudders through months of Nordic winter freezes. Across northern Europe, oak and beech forests wither under severe frost and drought, while cereal yields collapse from temperatures plunging as low ...

Astrobiology Sep 7, 2026

Early Earth's auroral belts may have formed a natural ion-beam reactor for prebiotic chemistry

We usually think of auroras as beautiful lights in the night sky. I see them as visible traces of a connection between the sun, Earth's magnetic field and the atmosphere. This led me to an origin-of-life question: Could the ...

Planetary Sciences Sep 5, 2026

Spacecraft bound for Mercury begins 'tricky' arrival

After an eight-year journey, a spacecraft carrying European and Japanese probes began the monthslong, high-risk approach to Mercury on Thursday to study the sun-scorched planet.

Planetary Sciences Sep 3, 2026

A pair of spacecraft draw closer to Mercury after nearly decade-long voyage

Two Mercury-bound spacecraft left their mother ship behind on Thursday and headed down the home stretch of their nearly decade-long voyage to the solar system's smallest and closest-to-the-sun planet.

Astronomy Sep 2, 2026

Hubble tracks new decagon encircling Saturn's south pole

Recent observations with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have revealed a giant, evolving, 10-sided atmospheric wave encircling Saturn's south pole. This discovery marks the first time a large, regular-sided jet pattern has ...

Astrobiology Sep 2, 2026

Young sunlike system reveals comets may carry water toward forming planets

Astronomers at Lund University in Sweden have found evidence of exocomets—comets in other solar systems—orbiting a young star similar to our sun. The observations point to a possible mechanism for how water might be transported ...

Planetary Sciences Sep 1, 2026

Saturn encounter may have set distant centaur on path to becoming a comet

More than 3 billion miles (4.8 billion kilometers) from Earth, an ancient icy object is slowly awakening. As it drifts inward through the solar system, the frozen body known as Centaur 450P/LONEOS has begun releasing gas ...

Space Exploration Aug 31, 2026

ESA JUICE probe targets dark Jovian moon Kallichore in 2031

Jupiter hosts more than 100 moons, with most attention focused on the four Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. This is primarily due to their active geology, including Io being the most volcanically active ...

Astrobiology Aug 31, 2026

Peptides can form well-defined structures in harsh, Venus-like conditions

When exploring solar system bodies for signs of past or present life, scientists have mainly focused on planets that have (or had) a liquid surface similar to Earth's. However, mounting evidence suggests that the ingredients ...

Planetary Sciences Aug 29, 2026

Scientists melted a diamond and cracked a secret of ice giants

Some of the strangest weather in the solar system doesn't happen on Earth or even in Jupiter's Great Red Spot—it happens in the interiors of ice giants like Neptune and Uranus. Specifically, scientists have long believed ...

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