The moon was exposed to a heavy bombardment of asteroids 3.9 billion years ago. The origin of this bombardment, however, was previously unclear. Planetologists at Münster University have now tested these hypotheses with ...
Planetary Sciences
Nov 8, 2021
0
475
What makes a planet a planet? The answer turns out to be rather contentious. The official definition of a planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) is that a planet must satisfy three conditions:
Planetary Sciences
Nov 3, 2021
6
99
Finding an exact copy of the Earth somewhere in the universe sounds like a far-fetched notion, but scientists believe that because Earth happened in our solar system, something similar is bound to exist someplace else. University ...
Astronomy
Sep 9, 2021
0
180
The moons of planets that have no parent star can possess an atmosphere and retain liquid water. Astrophysicists at LMU have calculated that such systems could harbor sufficient water to make life possible—and sustain it.
Astronomy
Jun 10, 2021
5
1471
NASA's Juno spacecraft has provided the first close-ups of Jupiter's largest moon in two decades.
Space Exploration
Jun 9, 2021
3
860
With its impeccable landing on Thursday, NASA's Perseverance became the fifth rover to reach Mars—so when can we finally expect the long-held goal of a crewed expedition to materialize?
Space Exploration
Feb 20, 2021
37
428
Last year was the year of Mars launches, and this one will be the year of Mars landings. The Hope Mars mission, launched by the United Arab Emirates, entered its orbit around Mars on February 9, while China's Tianwen-1 rover, ...
Space Exploration
Feb 16, 2021
0
7
A growing body of research suggests the planet Venus may have had an Earth-like environment billions of years ago, with water and a thin atmosphere.
Space Exploration
Oct 7, 2020
0
4831
More than 230 years ago astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus and two of its moons. Using the Herschel Space Observatory, a group of astronomers led by Örs H. Detre of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy ...
Astronomy
Sep 14, 2020
0
102
Several years ago, planetary scientist Lynnae Quick began to wonder whether any of the more than 4,000 known exoplanets, or planets beyond our solar system, might resemble some of the watery moons around Jupiter and Saturn. ...
Astronomy
Jun 19, 2020
4
1272
